The Princess' Man
by RinnyBunny
Summary: This is basically another adaptation of "The Evil Series" of Rin and Len. However, in this one.. it's going to be much more dramatic, a bit less tragic, and Rin and Len are not siblings in this one. Rated T... just because! I thought this kind of story would just fit more of a teenager's interest. It might have some romance and/or violence later on. Please read, review, follow!
1. Prologue: The Event that Started it All

******O**nce upon a time, a long time ago, in a faraway kingdom... the Queen of the land gave birth to beautiful baby girl. With cornsilk locks and mesmerizing blue eyes, the baby was happily welcomed into the Royal Family, as the one and only Princess of the Galeamma Kingdom. Sadly, the Queen soon discovered that she could bear no more children. After a brief period of sadness, the King and Queen vowed to crown their precious daughter the future Queen of the land.******  
**

However, disregarding their oath, the King and Queen still longed for another child; a Prince, and heir to the throne. Was it a sin to want another child? No, that in itself is nothing to be ashamed of. However, it was their course of action, that was wrong...

Due to their selfish desires, they decided to steal a child from the neighboring kingdom, the Emerald Kingdom. The King sent out his men, strictly ordering them to bring a handsome young boy that resembled the Princess; with golden locks and blue eyes.

Once they returned, the King and Queen were delighted to find that they had brought a young child, not over the age of 3, fitting the description marvelously. He had shimmering deep golden hair, and wide blue eyes. The child was frightened, and was sobbing. Motherly instinct took over the Queen, and she held the child in a loving pair of arms. The King smiled. It had gone according to their wishes.

However, the entire Galeamma Kingdom had heard the rumors. Rumors of how the Queen was unable to give birth to a Prince. the King and Queen were horrified. How could the people know? How were they to fool the masses? After a great deal of thinking and debating, the King and Queen decided that they only had one choice; to make their newly stolen Prince, the Princess' servant.

And this, my dear readers, is how our story became to be...

* * *

**Author's**** Note: I'm sorry for the major editing! I had to! I accidentally fixed the wrong chapter T^T. So I had to type it up again.. and in the process, I decided to do something different. Only slightly, though. But now the story is changed.. by a bit. xD;**

**No worries, I'm not planning to change anything major in the story plot, though!**

**Once again, I'm sorry if there is any confusion!**


	2. Chapter 1: Fate has Ripped us Apart

"**L**en! Len, come over here! I made something for you!" Little Princess Rin shouted happily, as she set something aside in the grass.

Smiling, a young boy who looked only a few years older, trotted over to Rin, and sat down next to her on the grass.

"Yes, milady. Did you call?" He replied, grinning.

Rin giggled as she suddenly whipped out a garland, composed of wildflowers. She handed it over to Len proudly. Len's eyes widened in shock, and his mouth hung open. He slowly reached out for the garland, and timidly stroked one of the flowers' petals.

"Y-you made this for **me**, milady?" He stuttered in disbelief.

Rin's tinkling laughter echoed once again.

"Of course, I did, silly!" Then she reached over, took the garland from his hands, and gently hung it around his neck. "There. It looks beautiful!" she remarked, triumphantly.

Len blushed and flashed a smile of gratitude at her and he was at a loss for words.

Suddenly, they could hear brisk, footsteps approaching. A tall man in a long coat, stood looming over them. He bowed slightly towards Rin, and then roughly grabbed Len's arm, dragging him away from the little girl. Alarmed, Len shouted and struggled against the man's iron grip, flailing his arms and legs in the air. Little Rin, wanting to help her friend, ran towards Len, but was caught in yet another person's grasp. Frustrated, Rin whipped around to see a familiar face; one of her maids. Rin tried to shake off the lady's hand, but it closed firmly around her own.

"No, **let go**, Paula!" Rin cried angrily.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that Your Highness," Paula replied.

"And why not?" Rin replied, glaring at the woman. "I am the Princess! You have to follow my orders! I'm going to t-" Rin was quickly cut off, by the arrival of two figures; her parents.

Wrenching free of Paula's grasp, Rin ran towards her parents.

"Mama! Daddy! What are they doing? They're taking Len away! Come on, you've got to help him!" She pleaded.

Her mother's sympathetic green eyes, locked upon Rin's own pools of blue that quivered with unreleased tears.

"I'm sorry, Rin darling. But Len has to go somewhere. He won't be in trouble. It's ok." She replied, stroking her daughter's hair.

Rin started to sob. She looked up at her father for a better explanation, but he only nodded, a grim expression on his face.

"PRINCESS! PRINCESS RIN, HELP!" Len shouted from halfway across the field, still struggling. The tall man leaned over to Len's ear, and spoke. But it didn't seem to calm Len's attempts to escape.

Rin started to run towards him, but she was restrained by Paula again.

"LEN! NO, LEN, DON'T GO! I can't- LENN!" Rin screamed as she saw Len getting into a carriage.

The carriage soon sped away, leaving clouds of dust and despair for Little Princess Rin. As it faded into the horizon, Rin sobbed into her mother's shoulder, while her mother tried to comfort the hysterical girl.

Each child wondered to themself, _"Will I ever see her/him again?"_


	3. Chapter 2: It is a Tradition

**_~*10 years later*~_**

"**P**rincess~ Princess Rin. It is time to get up now." A voice called out.

"Mm.. y-yes? What is it?" Rin mumbled, as she forced open a sleepy eyelid.

"Princess, it is time to get up now. We have a busy day ahead of us!" the voice continued. Slowly, Rin's vision adjusted to reveal the face of a smiling Paula.

"...Why? What day is it? Is it a special day today?" Rin questioned, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

Paula cheerfully threw open the curtains, and the light blinded Rin. Shielding her eyes, she slightly growled. Paula didn't seem to notice, and started to pick out the things needed to dress the Princess.

"Why, it's almost your birthday, Princess! It's only a couple of days away! The palace servants are in a frenzy, trying to get everything ready in time!" Paula exclaimed. "Now, if you would, please get up so I can dress you!"

Rin obliged and let Paula tighten and fasten the laces to her **very** restricting corset. _"Can't. Breathe."_ Rin thought, as she tried to take several deep breaths.

As Paula slipped on Rin's shoes and gloves, Rin's mind wandered, _"Hmm. My 17th birthday is coming up, huh? Today is May 3rd. Then my birthday would be... only 2 days away! Wow, it's so soon." _And then, it struck her. _"Oh no! 17 is the age where Princesses are supposed to start finding ideal men to marry!"_

Paula seemed to notice Rin's face of worry and shock. "What is it, milady?" she asked.

Rin burst out, "IhavetogetmarriedsoonPaula!"

Paula giggled. "Woah, woah. Please slow down, Princess! Now, please say it slower. What exactly is the matter?"

Rin took a deep breath. "I have to get married, Paula! It's going to be my 17th birthday in 2 days! And you know the long tradition has been; for the Princess to start meeting suitors!"

Paula's reaction wasn't what Rin expected. She merely smiled and nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. I do remember the tradition. And I also remember that it's your 17th birthday that's coming up."

"So? Aren't you worried about me?" Rin exclaimed indignantly.

"Yes.. and no, your Highness." Paula replied, smiling warmly. "Because, the King and Queen have already found a suitor for you. He has a nice family background, is rich and powerful, is known to be good looking."

Rin blinked in surprise. "Mother and Father have already found someone who wants to marry me?"

"Yes. But... they will look for others if you do not have a liking to him. Although, who could hardly reject this man!" Paula sighed dreamily.

"Oh, you've already seen this man before?" Rin questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Paula nodded. "Yes, milady. He is the Duke of Hammington. He is very goodlooking! He seems like a good catch, Your Highness. And his name is..."

* * *

**Author's note: Who do you think the mystery suitor should be? I don't really know how it should be either! Since this isn't a crossover or antyhing.. the guy has to be in Vocaloid. ^ ^;**

**It would be nice to hear who you guys think should be the mystery suitor. Who knows, I might actually follow through to meet your demands. ;D**


	4. Chapter 3: The Mysterious Suitor

"...**H**is name is?" Rin questioned impatiently, tapping her foot rapidly against the marble floor.**  
**

Paula opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a loud knocking on the door.

Rin let out a deep breath. _"Well, this was going to be a bit more nerve-wracking than necessary."_ she thought exasperatedly.

Paula opened the door, and another young lady, with long silver hair entered.

"Why, hello there, Maria. What is it?" Paula asked her fellow maid.

Maria bowed in Rin's direction. "I'm here to tell the Princess that the King wants to see her as soon as possible." She replied hurriedly.

"Oh? My father wants to see me _**now**_?"Rin inquired, clearly curious. Why would the King wish to see her this urgently in the morning?

Maria nodded. A few moments of silence passed. "Very well. We're done here, anyways." Rin replied, rising. "Let's go, Paula."

Both of the maids bowed, and followed Rin out of the room.

* * *

_**Knock. Knock.** _"Yes, come in!" A deep voice called out.

The doors opened, and Rin stepped forward.

"You wished to speak to me, Father?"

The King's face crinkled into a smile. "Yes, I did. Now, have a seat, my dear." He replied, gesturing for Rin to sit.

She obediently sat, and waited for him to carry on.

"Well, I'll go straight to the point today... You remember the long tradition of the royal family, don't you?" The King asked.

A knot slowly tightened in Rin's stomach. "..Yes, I do, Father."

"And do you remember that the Princess must start meeting suitors by the age of 17?"

The knot tightened. "Y-yes, Father."

"Well, there's not much of a need to try and rush a marriage... but we must start having you meet some potential husbands! So.. your mother and I," The King said, looking into Rin's eyes. "We have already found a suitor for you!"

Rin blinked, and nodded. "Yes, I just heard that, from Paula."

"Oh! Oh, I see.. well, it seems that you've taken the news quite well, then." The replied, smiling once more.

Rin sighed, "The thing that's more important, Father, is who exactly this man is."

The King nodded. "Yes. Well, like I said, my child. If you don't like this man, you do not have to marry him. There are more suitors if you wish. Although, he seems to be the ideal catch. Wealth and power, nice family background, a handsome face, and most important of all... he seems to have a liking towards you!"

At this, Rin's mouth dropped open. "...H-how could he develop a liking towards me, without even seeing my face?"

The King chuckled. "After I described your character and face to him, he laughed, and said that he looked forward to meeting you."

Rin let out a sigh, "Oh, you had me worried, Father! Well, in that case, I suppose that's reasonable." Rin smiled slightly.

"Oh, I forgot to mention... he's coming today! This afternoon to be exact. Please greet him warmly, even if you do not like him, Rin." The King said, winking at his daughter.

Rin smiled genuinely at this. "Oh, alright, Father. I will. But I probably won't like him~"

The King smiled as well. "You are dismissed. You may go, now."

After Rin had already walked halfway back towards her quarters, she suddenly remembered. _"Oh, I forgot to ask for his name again! Ugh, why can I not remember to ask for that blasted suitor's name?! Dammit, now I'll have to wait until I'm introduced to him this afternoon. Great, more anxiety..."_ she thought to herself, as she mentally smacked herself over and over again.


	5. Chapter 4: An Unexpected Visitor

All throughout the morning, Rin couldn't help but almost worry herself to death. She paced back and forth, rapidly, along the richly carpeted area of the Drawing room. It was an hour away from noontime; the appointed time the Duke of Hammington, her mysterious suitor, was said to arrive.

Rin bit her lip. _"If only I had asked for his name! Or atleast a description of his face! Oh dear God, why was I so stupid?!"_

Paula couldn't help but giggle. "Oh, Princess, please stop worrying! I'm sure he'll arrive soon!"

"Oh, that's not the point!" Rin cried. "I'm nearly driven to madness as to worrying over what kind of man he'll be like! I certainly don't want a stuffy, arrogant man as a suitor!"

Paula outright started laughing. "Well, like I said, Your Highness. He is a handsome young man, and I believe his manners should be nice, as he is from a prestigious family!"

Rin sighed. "I hope so..." Then, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She cocked her head to one side, as she listened intently.

"What is it, Your Highness?" Paula asked.

Rin moved closer to the window, and as she suspected, a carriage had already arrived and been stationed outside the palace. _"Aha! I thought I heard horses!" _Rin thought triumphantly to herself. _"Hmm.. but still... how odd. __It's still about an hour away from the appointed time. Surely, he's not this early!"_

"...Princess?" Paula prompted, now curious.

"Oh, um.. Paula would you mind getting my afternoon tea, ready? I'm going down to the Hall for a minute. I'll try to be back up, soon. If I'm not, then would you look for me?" Rin had already turned to leave before Paula could get her sentence out.

"Yes, milady." was all Paula could utter before the Princess had gathered her skirts and briskly trotted out of the room.

_"Well, that's certainly odd. I wonder what's up with her today..." _Paula thought to herself as she also went to ready the Princess' tea.

* * *

Her heartbeat accelerating, Rin slowly jogged outside, to where the carriage was stationed.

_"That carriage." _she thought as she got nearer to it. _"Why does that look so familiar? ..Could it be...?!"_ She sped up her pace.

The carriage's driver spotted Rin, and bowed deeply. Addressing to her, a polite "Your Majesty."

Rin nodded in reply. "Good sir, do you know where the occupant of this carriage has gone?" She asked, frantically looking to her left and right.

The man seemed to sense her urgency. "Yes, Your Highness. He has just gone inside."

Rin thanked the driver, and then ran into the palace once again. No one was in sight. Biting her lip, she ran into the Hall. Just as she was about to leave in dismay, she caught a glint of gold. Whipping her head back around, she saw a blonde haired young man, gazing up at the Royal family portrait. He was wearing a brown swallow tailcoat with ruffled sleeves. Intricate golden patterns decorated his cuffs and the edges of his coat. A starched white, silk cravat was around his neck. His hands were clasped behind his back. Suddenly the young man turned around, revealing his face to her. Those clear, blue eyes.

"...Y-your Highness?"

Rin's breath caught in her throat. She clenched her sweaty palms onto the hem of her dress. _"Was it really...?!"_

"...L-Len?!"

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm sorry for being such a tease! I feel like I'm dragging things out a bit too long. xD;**

**Well, this is all needed to build up on the juicy stuff, so.. please bear it for a while! ;D**


	6. Chapter 5: A Joyful Reunion

"...**L**-Len?!"

For a moment, painful silence rang throughout the room. Then, the young man's face broke into a soft smile.

"Yes, Your Highness." He replied, and then bowed deeply.

It took a moment to register what exactly the young man had meant, before Rin's eyes started to well up with tears.

"LEN~!" She cried with joy, tears streaming down her face, as she ran towards him. She flung herself upon him, and for a moment, she could see his eyes widen with surprise, before they fell backwards together.

_**THUMP.**_

Laughing at their fall, Len sat up, with Rin still clinging onto him, sobbing into his shoulder. He smiled gently, before slowly embracing her small frame. He stroked her silky hair, with tears rolling down his own face.

"Princess, I've missed you so much." He mumbled softly into her hair.

Rin ceased her sobbing, as they both looked up to each others' faces.

"I've missed you more than you could imagine, Len." Rin replied, tears still silently staining her dress.

Len thumbed her tears away. Grinning, he replied, "Oh, I can imagine... because, I've probably missed you more~"

Rin started to laugh midst her crying. At first it was a small chuckle, then a giggle, then full blown-out laughter. Her heart felt like it would explode from happiness. She wanted to run out into the streets and proclaim her joy.

Len started to join in with her, and soon, their mingling voices created a lovely duet of laughter. In that moment, they were the happiest people on the face of the Earth.

* * *

"So, Len." Rin started, as she picked herself up from the floor, and outstretched a hand towards Len. "How have you been faring?"

Len gladly took her hand, and pulling himself up, replied, "Well. I guess I've been alright. What about you, Princess?"

Taking a seat on one of the richly furnished chairs in the room, she gestured for Len to sit on one as well.

"Honestly, nothing has been fun anymore, Len. Without you in the palace, it's just been an endless boring routine of learning various subjects from fat, dull governesses. Recently however, things are starting to getting a _bit more interesting_." Rin said, amusement glinting in her eyes as she grinned coyly.

Len grinned right back. "Whatever do you mean, milady?" He inquired.

"Well~ Do you remember the Royal tradition that requires the Princess to start meeting suitors?"

Len nodded. "Of course, I do, Your Highness," he took a pause. "...But, at what age was supposed to take action, again?" He asked, bashfully rubbing the back of his head.

That was when Rin's goofy smile faltered. Len immediately noticed, and his face expressed genuine concern.

"What's the matter Your Highness? Is something the matter?" he prompted, searching for any signs of fatigue or illness on the Princess' face.

Rin shook her head. "I'm fine, Len." She paused for a moment. "It's just that... my parents have already found a suitor for me. I think they really want me to marry him. He's the Duke of Hammington; impressive family background, power, wealth, and good looks.. _supposedly_." She added that last part with a roll of her eyes.

For a fraction of a second, she could see shock and bewilderment on Len's face. But it quickly vanished. She blinked, and his face showed nothing but understanding and affection. _"Maybe I'm seeing things..." _She wondered to herself.

Just then, a worried Paula, came running into the room. She panted, "So... **_there_** you are..., Your Highness!" before she realized that Len was in the room. She squinted her eyes, bafflement written all over her face. Then a wave of recognition flooded her features. However, shock quickly replaced all other emotion on her face.

"Y-you're that boy..!" She said, pointing a quivering finger at Len.

Len silently nodded, his eyes held an unreadable stoic expression. "Yes. And you're that maid who helped.. _in that event_." He said in an icy tone of voice, smirking cruelly.

Rin's eyes widened. Was this really the Len she knew? How could he seem so warm and loving one minute, and turn cold and cruel the next? This was truly a new side of Len to her.

Paula gulped nervously, and stammered, "W-why are you here?"

Rin turned and looked to Len for an answer as well. Once their eyes made contact, the steely cold look in Len's eyes died down immensely.

Closing his eyes, Len took a deep breath. "Would you please leave us alone for a minute? You can hear the story from the Princess." He said to Paula.

Paula nodded and quickly exited the room.

Rin sat, expectantly looking up at Len. Len exhaled loudly, and smiled wearily."I guess I owe you an explanation first, Princess."

"Yes. I'm curious as to how you and why you came back, Len." Rin replied. Then a thought struck her. She fearfully gasped. "Y-You didn't run away or anything, did you, Len? You aren't in danger, are you?!"

Len chuckled at this remark. "Of course not, milady. Here, let me tell you the whole story of my time away from the palace."

Rin nodded enthusiastically, and Len took a seat once more.


	7. Chapter 6: Tale of the Past

_**S**_miling at Rin, Len slowly took a deep breath and began his tale.

"The day I taken away, the tall man gave me to another man. To my surprise, it was a friendly, elderly carpenter and candle-maker. He was kind and gentle, and comforted the hysterical young boy that was to be his apprentice. However, I stubbornly kept insisting that I had to get back to you. I explained that I was your servant, and that I had to go and serve my Princess. He smiled sadly at me and then explained to me, the best he could, that he had gotten orders from the King, so that I may become his apprentice for a while. I was bewildered back then; I didn't understand why and how I could be so suddenly torn apart from you, Princess."

Rin smiled gently, and nodded for him to continue.

"The years slowly passed by. I soon grew into a young man. However, the carpenter had told me something that I held in my heart all these years. He said that one day, I was going to be summoned back to the palace. I engraved those words on my heart, as I gritted my teeth and worked as hard as I could, sincerely hoping that one day, I could see you again. Finally, a few days ago, I while I was helping the carpenter, a messenger suddenly arrived. He carried a scroll that had the seal of the Royal family imprinted onto it. The messenger told me that I was to report back to the palace as soon as possible. He carried on to tell me, that he would send a carriage soon. At first, I was so stunned.. that I felt numb. Then his words slowly sunk in. I would be able to see you again! Ever since that messenger arrived, I felt like I was floating on a cloud! I was so happy!" Len smiled.

"The elderly carpenter was so kind to me, even to the end. He insisted that I must look presentable, and bought me a wonderful jacket, that one I'm wearing now!" As he spoke, Len held out his arms. then after a few moments, he let his arms drop to his sides again. "I waited in anticipation each day, each hour that passed. Finally, this morning, a fine carriage pulled up in front of the shop. I nearly jumped into it!" Len chuckled, before continuing. "But, it nearly broke my heart to leave the elderly carpenter that had raised me for 10 years. He was like a father to me. I vowed to return and visit him from time to time. He looked at me with tears in his eyes, and gave me a firm hug before sending me off. While sitting in the carriage, I nearly cried. It was truly a bittersweet moment; I had to leave the man who had practically raised me, but in exchange, I would be re-united with you!"

As he concluded his story, eyes filled with a mix of emotions that she could not name, landed on Rin. _"...Is that... happiness? Sadness? Adoration? Or.. love?!.. Maybe it's a mix of them all..." _Rin wondered, irritated that she could not pinpoint them all.

"..Wow, Len. I-I don't know what to say..!" Rin stuttered helplessly._ "What was she to say to this?!"_

Len smiled. "It's alright, Your Highness. No need to say anything..."

"Oh... wait! You didn't tell me what caused your return!" Rin exclaimed. "...My parents never told me anything about you..."

"Oh! No one told you, Princess? I thought someone was bound to tell you..." He furrowed his brows.

"No, nobody told me about your arrival! I was _completely _taken by surprise! Well, with things such as my birthday, and the suitor coming this afternoon... I guess no one had the time to tell me such things." Rin said, sighing.

Len stood up suddenly. "Well... Your Highness, from this day forth, I shall become your personal servant." He announced, as he bowed deeply once more. "It's the King's orders." he added happily.

Rin gasped, and her hand flung to her open mouth. "A-are you serious, Len?! Y-you're going to become _my personal servant _again?" She cried gleefully. Suddenly, a thought struck her. _"Wait... my **personal** servant? But.. **Paula** was my personal servant, my lady-in-waiting. And she helped me with **everything**! That means...! No! Not at **this** age..!" _She gasped in horror, at the thought.

Len nodded and smirked. "Now, now. No need to get flustered, Your Highness! Of course, it would be _quite inappropriate_ to help dress and undress you every day... Your lady-in-waiting will do that, as well as the matter of bathing you and the like. However, _I_ will do everything else; from running errands, getting your afternoon tea ready, accompanying you everywhere... all of _those_ kinds of things."

"I-... I was _not_ flustered!" Rin indignantly cried, folding her arms across her chest. "Len, are you a pervert? Who would even _think_ of _you_ dressing me.. at this age!" Rin asked, shooting Len a suspicious glare.

Len started to laugh wholeheartedly. "Of course not, milady! I was just jesting! My, you do take things quite personally." He grinned.

Rin sighed in relief. "Good grief, Len! I am seeing _so many_ different sides to you, today! I'm quite shocked!" She giggled.

Len cocked his head to one side. "Is that so, Your Highness? I never noticed..." He smiled. "Well, I should get going now."

"Going..?! But Len! You said you were going to be my personal servant again!" Rin cried, panicking.

Len chuckled. "Oh, no, not _out_ of the palace, Princess. I'm going to go meet the King. It would be the proper thing to do; he's the one that order me to be here. I must pay my respects."

"Oh... Well, alright then, be on your way~ The suitor will be arriving soon, so I must go see if things are going smoothly." Rin replied, grinning in relief. _"I thought I almost lost Len again!"_

"Yes, Your Highness, as you wish. Then, I bid thee adieu!" Len said, giving her one last smile and a wave before heading towards the Throne room.


	8. Chapter 7: Comfort in the Gardens

**E**verything was going smoothly, Rin observed, as she passed by several rooms and halls with servants bustling in and out. She couldn't stop smiling from ear to ear, as she wandered around the palace. Len was finally back! And to_stay_! Her thoughts slowly traveled back to the mysterious suitor.

_"What will he be like? What will he look like? Could I ever love him? Would he love me?"_

Rin sighed. All of this worrying and thinking was _not_ going to do her well. To clear her head, she decided to go out to the gardens, to get a fresh breath of air and possibly take a walk.

She slowly traveled along the large gardens, until she found her favorite bench near a fountain. Inhaling deeply, Rin sat and gazed at the perfectly trimmed green hedges surrounding the area. Thousands of colorful flowers, all of different kinds and species grew in harmony, gave off the most wonderful aroma. Her favorite; the white roses, were in perfect shape, blooming to the fullest of their beauty. _"Wow, the gardeners must really work hard! I should give them a word of appreciation some time..." _she thought in awe, as she reached out to pick one. Forgetting about the thorns, she pricked her finger. A drop of rich, dark blood slowly oozed out of the tip of her finger, and dropped onto the soil.

"OW!" Rin exclaimed, jerking her hand away from the rose bushes. She peered down and saw more little droplets of blood oozing out. She panicked, and her mind was whirring. _"Uhh... what do I do?! What do I do?! Should I rip a part of my dress and wrap my finger in it? No, my dress is made of silk! It's too much of an expensive beauty to go to waste! Umm.. then.. a leaf?! What a about a leaf? Yeah, I think a leaf sounds good enough..." _She frantically started to look for some suitable leaf to use. She ripped a leaf off a random plant next to her, and smiled in satisfaction.

Suddenly, behind her, Rin heard laughter. Thinking it was Len, without turning around, she pointedly replied, "Stop laughing and get me something to wrap my finger in! I don't like seeing my own blood!"

The voice stopped laughing, and she could hear footsteps approaching. A white handkerchief with gold threads embroidering the edges, suddenly appeared in the corner of her eye. Rin looked up to take the cloth, when she saw an unfamiliar face. Startled, she staggered a few steps away.

"W-who are you?" She asked, taking a good look at this strange man's face.

The man had dark, midnight-blue hair with sapphire, twinkling eyes and a kind smile on his handsome face.

_"How odd." _Rin thought, staring at the man looming over her. _"He has blue hair... hmm.. but his face is pretty handsome..." _She slowly took the handkerchief from his hand.

He interrupted her thoughts. He kept his hand outstretched and said, "Well, Princess. Would you like to get up off the ground, or just sit in the dirt?" His eyes glinted with amusement.

Rin's face contorted into a scowl. But she accepted his hand, and eased herself up. "How do you know that I'm the Princess?" She questioned, an eyebrow raising.

The young man chuckled once more, before replying, "Just taking a look at you, proves to me that you are Her."

Rin wasn't impressed. She crossed her arms across her chest and cocked her head to one side. "You've heard about me?" That's when she took a good look at his attire. This young man was dressed in lavish, expensive-looking clothing, dyed in rich, deep colors. His coat was neatly buttoned and the buttons themselves looked golden. Like Len's coat, complicated golden swirls adorned the edges of his coat. Clearly his clothes were made by a professional tailor.. and cost a lot as well! This was not an ordinary man. He was definitely noble-born.

"What do you mean exactly, by that?" She asked.

More chuckling. "I can tell by your dress, Your Highness, that you are indeed the Princess. Who else could afford to wear that?" He motioned at her dress with his hand.

Rin's eyebrows furrowed. "...But, can't other noble women afford to wear such things?" She glanced down at her dress.

The man's face was one in thought. After a while, he replied, "..I suppose, they could, Your Highness. But... your dress just looks the most magnificent out of all the other ladies' dresses I've seen." He smiled.

Rin's face flushed a shade of pink. "W-why, thank you..." She suddenly realized that she didn't even know this man's name! "And.. what would your name be?" She inquired, politely.

His smile grew even wider. "You may just call me, 'Kaito', Your Highness."

Rin smiled as well. "Well, thank you, Sir Kaito. For lending me your handkerchief and... the compliment."

He nodded. "Oh, no need to thank me, Princess. It was my pleasure!"

Rin suddenly became aware of how much the time should've passed. "Oh no! Oh, I'm sorry, Sir Kaito, but.. I have someone special to meet today. Would you please excuse me?"

He smiled again, and nodded, but said nothing.

As she rushed back into the palace, she turned back around and waved to him, calling out, "See you next time, Sir Kaito~". _"He sure is a smiley one, at that..."_

He raised a hand in return. As he gazed at her retreating figure, he couldn't help but think, _"She sure is lovely... I think... I just fell for her."_


	9. Chapter 8: The Start of a Rivalry?

**A**s she waited nervously for the guest to arrive, she gazed down at her gloved hands. The bleeding had long stopped, so she had unwrapped her hand and left the kerchief to be cleaned. The whole room's atmosphere was tense and anxiety rang throughout the halls.

The King was seated at the head of the table, clothed in some of his most regal clothes, and his lovely Queen sat at his right, her eyes full of serenity. Finally, Rin, the Princess, also dressed in her favorite dress; a honey-golden satin gown, with ribbons adorning her hem, and delicate ivory gloves, gracing her dainty hands, looked the most beautiful of all. Her long cornsilk locks were braided and pinned upwards, with heavily jeweled accessories dangling in several places. Paula had taken almost a good full hour, getting the Princess ready.

Rin shifted in her seat nervously. She glanced up to look at Len, who was faithfully at attention, standing by her left side. He gazed down at her warmly and gave her an encouraging smile. Rin smiled nervously back, as she looked down at her hands once more.

Suddenly, the doors to the dining hall were flung open, and the butler stepped forward, crying, "Your Majesties, I present to you, the Duke of Hammington, Sir Kaito, and his family!" The he bowed deeply, stepping aside to let the guest come through.

_"Sir Kaito? No.. it couldn't be..." _Rin craned her neck to get a good look at who these people were, but he was a bit too far to be clearly seen. The Royal family, rose in their seats to greet their noble guest.

Finally, as the group of guests approached, Rin gasped in surprise. Her mother looked down sternly, and hissed, "Rin, what _is it_?" Rin dismissively shook her head, ad focused her attention to the guests. _"I-it is...! Oh my, how could this be?!" _Rin's head spun. _"It's Sir Kaito! The kind young man I met from before! He.. why is he with them?!"_

Her wide, blue orbs met Kaito's. He merely smiled warmly at her, before bowing deeply before the King and Queen. "Thank you so much, your Majesties, to have my company here, and to dine with you. It is a great honour."

The King grinned, and shook Kaito's hand warmly, and Kaito kissed the the back of the Queen's hand as he bowed. Rin was still in a daze, when he approached her, and eyes glinting in amusement once more, he said, "Greetings to you, Princess Rin."

That finally snapped her back to reality, and she shakily outstretched her hand, to have him kiss the back of her hand as well. Her face turned a rosy pink.

"Y-yes. A good day to you as well, Duke of Hammington."

The anxious silence was now replaced with the friendly buzz of conversation, as the rest of Kaito's family was introduced.

Suddenly, the King announced, "Well! Since we have now all been introduced, let us eat!" At this, all the kitchen staff started to rush around, with platters of food, and prepared the table.

Her head didn't work. It refused to think properly. All Rin could do was stare at her silver fork, her mind desperately trying to piece the puzzle together.

Kaito was seated directly across from Rin, and he gave a devious smile. "Are you alright, Princess?"

Rin lifted her gaze from her enchanting fork, to Kaito's face. She mouthed, _"Don't mention what happened earlier to the others." _He nodded his head solemnly in response.

Outloud, she voiced, "Why yes, I'm quite fine, Sir Kaito." While she narrowed her eyes at him. _"I can't believe you did that."_

"I'm glad." Kaito feigned innocence. _"Whatever do you mean, Your Highness~?" _His eyes replied.

Rin glared at him. _"You know what I mean! Why did you act like some random stranger, when you were going to be my suitor?"_

Before Katio's eyes could channel back a response, the King inquired, "Rin, darling. Why are you and Sir Kaito staring each other down so intensely?"

This caught the Queen's attention. She brightly smiled as she cried delightedly, "Oh, do you find a fancy for him already, Rin? What good news!"

_"Oh no no! That's not it, Mother! ACK! No, what are you thinking?!" _Before Rin could say anything, Kaito replied, "If you'll pardon me, Your Majesty, but.. I think I've taken quite a fancy to Princess Rin." As he said that, he looked at Rin and flashed her a flirtatious smile.

Rin just blinked, speechless. The Queen's smile widened, and she clapped her hands in joy. "Oh, that's great to hear, Sir Kaito! I hope everything ends up well~"

Rin huffed back in annoyance and disbelief. Did her mother really just use that tone? With those words? And how dare Sir Kaito do that..! She frankly, did think he was handsome... but.. she barely knew him! Nuh-uh. This wasn't going to happen so fast!

* * *

Little did Rin know, that Len was gazing at her, with jealousy burning in his eyes. He glanced back and forth between her and Kaito.

_"D-does she really like him too? It... it seems like she might have some developing feelings for him. Ugh, no! I don't want to lose the Princess permanently! That..."_

_"What do you mean, you selfish little twit! If she's happy, I'm happy too... even if it isn't with me... Just seeing her happy smile, will fill me with happiness as well. I'll still be her loyal and faithful servant. Always."_

These two sides of Len were battling within his being. He sighed, raking a hand roughly through his blonde hair.

_"I guess we'll just have to wait and see... but just because he's going to court her, doesn't mean I'm officially eliminated from this, now am I? Well, I know it's against tradition and Royalty's unwritten rules to ever love a lowly servant... but... I'm not going to give up so easily! I like the Princess.. a lot, so I'm going to fight for her. We'll see who wins, Sir Kaito. May the best man win!" _Len inwardly grinned and prepared himself for a courting battle. Who would win the Princess' heart, first? Who would she pick?

* * *

**Wow, thanks for all the views and reviews! Even if it may not seem like anything at all, each view and review is very precious to me! Thank you, guys! I hope you like the story so far! I also hope that I don't disappoint! ^^**


	10. Chapter 9: What's Wrong With Me?

**K**aito glanced at Rin once again. Rin saw this out of the corner of her eye, and she inwardly sighed to herself. _"How long is he just going to keep stealing glances at me?"_

She forcefully stabbed her fork into a chunk of meat, and shoved it into her mouth. Her mother gave Rin another stern glare. Rin immediately became conscious of herself, as she slowly put her fork back down. She sheepishly grinned, and slowly continued to eat in a _dignified_ manner.

Amongst the others, there was a constant comfortable buzz of conversation going on... but Rin just couldn't bring herself to hold a conversation with Kaito. It was just too awkward! She looked at Len, her eyes desperately seeking any advice. His in return, merely gave off a cold steely glint as he marched towards the kitchen, holding an empty platter.

Rin was taken aback. _"Did Len... did he just, ignore me?! Did he just march off to the kitchen?!_". She felt betrayed! She was surrounded by strangers, and her only comfort; Len, just left her! _"I'll deal with him later."_ She huffed to herself.

"Sir Kaito," The Queen suddenly addressed him. "Did you know that the Princess' birthday is coming up? It's her seventeenth!". The Queen's emerald eyes, twinkled knowingly.

Kaito's eyes widened. "Oh no! I never knew that, Your Majesty!". He then turned to Rin. "Why didn't you tell me this, Princess Rin?" he exclaimed.

"I-I..." Rin fumbled for words. _"What do I say? 'It wasn't your business!'? No, that sounds rude... uhhh..." _"It's because, I didn't think my suitor would've liked to know." She finally replied, giving him a mysterious smile.

This seemed to please the Queen, as she smiled, and turned back to her other conversation. Kaito also seemed to like her attitude. He flashed a charming smile, as she replied, "Well, I certainly _would_ like to know." He leaned forward, and looked into Rin's aqua blue eyes. His sapphire ones upon her's, made Rin uncomfortable. She looked away, pink dusting her cheeks once more. _"Why does this man make me flush so easily?! How embarrassing..!"_ At that, she blushed harder.

Kaito gave a low chuckle, as he returned to his original position. _"He keeps laughing at me too!" _Rin thought, slightly annoyed.

Sir Kaito irked, Rin. He seemed to constantly be teasing her; indirectly, which made it really hard to be around him, without flushing a shade of red. _"However... I can't deny... that he **is** quite good looking. Hmm... we'll see how this plays out... I may grow a liking to this man..."_

* * *

Rin let out a deep sigh, as she plopped onto her bed. Paula loomed over her, concern filling her eyes. "Are you alright, Princess? Shall I get a bath ready? Or maybe a cup of tea to soothe your nerves?"

Rin nodded. "A bath will do." She replied shortly.

Paula bowed in reply, and silently rushed to get Rin's bath ready. At times like this, Rin really liked Paula. She didn't question and pry any further. Rin smiled at Paula's retreating figure.

* * *

After a short while, Rin once again collapsed onto her bed, this time, burying her face into a soft pillow. She didn't care whether her hair was still sopping wet, or if it was making visible splotches on her silk nightdress. All she wanted was some rest. A break from the bewildering events from that evening.

She let out a groan, and restlessly twisted and turned. When her mind wouldn't stop whirring with thoughts, Rin angrily pulled herself out of bed.

_"I'm going to go talk to Len. I want answers why he was acting so... odd, tonight._ _Maybe then, I'll be able to get some rest."_

With that, she silently cracked her door open, surveying into the dark hallways. "_Good, no one is in sight." _With that, she tiptoed down the eerie hallways, her distorted shadow following her. Her heart lept in her chest, as she tried to keep calm and most importantly; _silent_. She clutched onto the staircase railing, as her dainty little feet padded down the steps. After what seemed to be hours, she finally was able to find the servants' quarters.

_"But where is Len's room?" _Rin pondered. Then her face lit up as she remembered an important detail. _"Ah! I remember! Since Len is my personal servant, almost like a butler, his room isn't placed with the palace staff! Then.. his room should be over to this side... Ah! Here it is!" _Rin reached the wing specially designated for the servants of higher rank. _The Butler's room, Paula's room... Ah! Here it is! Len's room!"_

She lightly knocked upon the wooden door. No sound came from within. She knocked harder a second time. Still, silence. She bent down to take a peak in the crack under the door, for any light emitting from the room. It seemed to be dark. _"Maybe he's not in his room yet..." _Rin thought dismissively, as she turned to leave. Then suddenly, a series of footsteps sounded, as the door was opened. Light flooded the dark hallways, and Rin was momentarily blinded.

She held up he arms to shield her eyes, as she narrowed them. _"I could've sworn there was no light when I looked under..."_

When her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, she lowered her arms to see a shocked Len, also standing in his night shirt. His honey coloured hair was slightly disheveled, and was released from the small ponytail he was required to wear it in.

"P-Princess Rin? What are you doing here.. at this hour..." His eyes widened as he stared at Rin's "indecent" clothing. _"What is he staring a-" _Rin thought in annoyance. However, she stopped as she suddenly became aware of how scandalous this scenario might be. Her, the Princess, standing in a skimpy silk nightdress, standing in front of her personal _**male**_ servant's room, **_late at__ night_**.

She immediately flushed a deep red, as she covered her chest with her arms. "Oh dammit!" She spat. "Len! Stop staring and **_please_** get me something...!" Len immediately averted his eyes, and rushed over to get his robe. He handed it to her, still not looking at her form.

Rin gratefully accepted the article of clothing and wrapped herself in it. A faint scent of _Len_ reached her nose. She smiled, "Len, this smells nice~"

Len bashfully rubbed the back of his head, as he chuckled "Oh, uh... I didn't do anything to it! I just, you know.. _wore _it. Ahaha~"

Rin's smile widened. "Then you must smell good!"

It was Len's turn to blush. "Ahaha! Umm.. t-thank you, Princess." He took a seat at his small wooden desk, and gestured for Rin to take a seat on his bed. "Well, what brings you here, Your Highness?"

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Rin exclaimed. She suddenly narrowed her eyes at Len. "I demand an explanation as to _why_ you were acting so strange."

Len was taken aback. _"Talk about women and their sudden mood changes..."_ "...Whatever do you mean, Your Highness?" He asked, trying to act clueless.

Rin crossed her arms over her chest. "You know, _exactly_ what I mean, Mister. This evening, when Sir Kaito and his family visited... it was so awkward! When I looked at you, and I _signaled with my eyes _that I needed your help, what did you do? You just ignored me, and marched off to the kitchen! How could you! Do you know how.. how difficult it was to deal with that man? It was our very firs-..." Rin suddenly stopped. _"No, it would be a lie to say that it was our very first meeting..." _It was my first suitor and our first official meeting! Couldn't you have at least _tried_ to help me keep things smooth?"

Len didn't speak, and kept his eyes fixed on his lap, making it very difficult for Rin to see what his eyes were saying. As he opened his mouth to speak, Rin expected him to meekly mutter an apology, and give her a smile; as he usually did. However, she prepared for what he was about to say.

Len's eyes were still not clearly visible, as he kept his head hung low. "...Is he that important to you?" He muttered in a low, husky voice. Rin was taken aback.

"L-Len, what are you-..."

"Do you like him so much, that you expect me to be his servant as well? Do you want me to play matchmaker and arrange all your outings together... and the wedding too?!" He nearly shouted, clenching his hand into a fist. _"...Then what about me?"_

Rin was speechless. Her head hurt. It was being overworked. "I-I..." Her heart was pumping viciously. She had never seen Len like this! He had always been the quiet, polite, kind, and obedient servant and friend that she always wanted. Where had that Len gone?

Rin bit her lower lip, and quietly replied, "...I'm sorry, Len. I didn't know that you were being so over-burdened by all this."

Len suddenly lifted up his head, and Rin could get a clear view of his eyes. They were wide, and in them, she could see surprise.

"Wait, what?" Len looked utterly confused.

"I said; 'I'm sorry'. I'm sorry for over-burdening you like this, Len. I didn't know you were so.. tired. I guess I've been asking too much of you." Rin replied, feeling ashamed. They had just met each other in what, 10 long years? And this is how she treats her long-lost friend? By throwing workload upon workload upon him? Rin hung her head.

_"No! That's not what I meant, Rin!" _Len cried desperately in his head. _"You're not asking too much of me... you're asking too little of me..."_

"I'm sorry for disturbing you this late at night... I guess I'll get going now. Get some rest, Len! Sleep well, and... if anything I ask you to do, gets overwhelming, you can honestly tell me, alright?" Rin looked at Len with sincere eyes, as she turned to leave.

_"NO! I.. I couldn't tell you what I wanted you to know! I wanted you to know that.. I have feelings for you...!"_ It seemed that Len's mouth wouldn't work, and only his thoughts rang, futilely trying to reach Rin's ears. He stared helplessly at her retreating back.

Rin gave a small smile and then, she quietly creaked open the door. Then, she was gone, lost in the darkness of the night.


	11. Chapter 10: Breaking the Ice

**R**in stood, speechless. After a restless night of tossing and turning, Rin found quite a sight before her eyes. Dressed in another fine outfit, holding a bouquet of pink roses, stood Sir Kaito. He stood, beaming at her.

"Guten Morgen, Princess! Did you sleep well?" He asked pleasantly, as he handed her the flwoers.

For a moment, Rin couldn't remember what that foreign phrase meant. She slowly accepted the bouquet, inhaling their wonderful fragrance. Her still-sleeping brain finally kicked into action, as she remembered, _"Ah! That's German! Guten Morgen is 'Good morning' in German!"._

She smiled back, stiffling a yawn. "...Good morning to you as well, Sir Kaito." _"I'm glad I paid attention during my German lessons..."_

He seemed to have noticed Rin's drowsy-ness, as he chuckled. "My. It seems that you haven't gotten a good night's sleep, yes?"

Rin stopped in mid-yawn. Her eyes widened once more. "...How did you..!"

Kaito laughed once more. "Princess, you seem to underestimate my intelligence! Clearly, you are still sleepy, because you have not gotten a good, full night's rest!" A playful smile danced on his lips.

"Oh, ah, I see!" Rin laughed sheepishly. "Quite right! Hm, I guess I shouldn't underestimate you now, should I?" With that, she turned and headed towards the dining room. "Care to join me for breakfast, Sir Kaito?"

Kaito smiled and nodded, motioning for her to take the lead. At the dining table, the King and Queen were in the middle of their meal. Rin greeted them each with a hug. Before Rin could take a seat, Kaito pulled out the chair for her. Surprised, she glanced up at him. He just smiled. She quickly sat down, trying to conceal her pink face.

"Oh, Sir Kaito! What a gentleman!" The Queen exclaimed, clapping her hands delightedly.

Rin wanted to dig herself a hole, and go hide in it. She slid down into her chair. "Mother, why are you being like this?" Rin hissed. The Queen merely smirked, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. Rin sunk lower in her chair. _"Why was Mother doing this?!"_

Kaito bowed politely in her direction, and then took his seat; the chair directly across from Rin... again.

* * *

Even today, Rin could not find the courage to talk with Kaito. Every time he tried to hold a conversation with her, she coldly shot them down with short replies. He abruptly stood up and announced.

"Would you please excuse me, Your Majesties? I would like to take a stroll in the gardens." The King and Queen nodded approvingly. Suddenly, Kaito turned to Rin. "Would you like to join me, Your Highness?"

Rin stared back at him with wide eyes. _"Uhh... should I go? I'm not sure! ...But then again, it would be a good chance to get closer to him, I suppose..."_

Slowly she replied, "Why, yes. I accept your invitation, Sir Kaito." He outstretched a hand, smiling down at her. She suddenly remembered of the handkerchief he had given her a few days ago. _"It should be cleaned by now..."_

"Would you give me just a moment, Sir Kaito? I need to get something." With that, she hurried up the grand staircase.

Sir Kaito smiled weakly, as he shook his head at her once again retreating figure. _"Even as she still treats me coldy... I find her adorable... What is wrong with me?"_

* * *

Once in the Royal Gardens, the duo slowly continued to walk in silence. It was still a somewhat awkward silence, but Rin thought of it as more of a... anxious silence. There was definitely something _heavy_ about this silence. They could hear were their footsteps, as they trodded on the grass. Rin's silk dress made soft rustling sounds.

Kaito was the first to break the silence. For the first time, he did not look into her eyes as he spoke. He looked far off into the distance, at the rising sun. His sapphire eyes held a distant, almost melancholic look to them. "Princess."

Rin looked up at him. "Yes, Sir Kaito?"

"...Why are you so cold towards me?"

Rin was taken aback. "...Uhh. Um... the thing is... errr..." She stuttered, trying to find the right thing to say. She was silenced by the look he gave her. Kaito's eyes held the same emotion Len's had held, so many times. Her eyes involuntarily widened as she recognized it. Kaito silently kept his gaze on her, his eyes unchanging.

Rin suddenly felt ashamed, as she had felt with Len. _"Did I make Kaito sad and over-burdened as well? Maybe I really upset him with my insensitive responses."_

She bit her lip. "...I'm sorry, Sir Kaito." She looked down at the ground, as she nervously fingered her dress. "I-I know you tried so hard to... try and be friendly with me. But I... I was being difficult, wasn't I?

His face broke into a weary smile. "So you knew..."

"And once again, I apologize, Sir Kaito. It's not because I don't like you,-" At that, his eyes widened in surprise.

"You don't dislike me?" He exclaimed, cutting Rin off.

Rin blinked at his sudden outburst. "No. It's not because I don't like you, Sir Kaito!" Blushing she continued, "I-I honestly think you're a polite, friendly... and handsome man. It's just that... I haven't been able to... warm up to you, I suppose." _"Oh, how embarrassing! Now he wasn't going to let her live this down!"_

When Rin looked up at him, he wasn't wearing a haughty smirk on his face, as she suspected. Instead, he was beaming with happiness, his blue eyes twinkling warmly again. This took her by surprise.

"Oh, I'm so glad!" He exclaimed. Kaito suppressed the urge to grab the Princess' small frame, and twirl her around. "Well, then. Let's change that!"

Rin blinked again, clueless as to what he meant. "Huh? What do you mean by that?"

Kaito grinned playfully, replying, "You said that you just haven't been able to warm up to me, right? Well, let's change that!"

"And how would we do that?" Rin responded, a faint smile forming around the edges of her lips.

"Tomorrow. I'll come and take you out on a carriage ride in the countryside, Princess." He enthusiastically answered.

Rin smiled coyly. "Oh, are you asking me out on a date, Sir Kaito?"

Realization struck Kaito. _"Oh, how could I be so blunt and upfront about this? My enthusiasm got the best of me... ugh." _He thought bewildered. He cleared his throat. "...Um, yes. Yes, I suppose it would be a date!" He laughed uneasily as he scratched the back of his head bashfully, flushing a bright pink.

Rin couldn't help but smile as well. "Alright, then. At what time are you coming, Sir Kaito?"

"...How about late morning; 11 o' clock? We could dine outside, in the countryside, and get some fresh air!"

"Ah, I see. Not a bad idea; I like it!" Suddenly Rin's enthusiasm faded. "Oh. But.. what do I wear?" she half murmured to herself.

"Don't worry, Princess. You'd look beautiful in anything." Kaito winked at her.

"Oh, you!" She shoved him playfully. With all seriousness she added, "Oh, but... Len, my personal... servant. Or is he a butler? ...Anyways, he _must_ come. That's alright with you, isn't it, Sir Kaito?"

Kaito nodded. "Well, if he must come, I have no objections." He looked at his pocketwatch. "Well, I should get going now, Your Highness. I have a bit of work to accomplish today."

Rin nodded. "Oh, yes, of course! Farewell, Sir Kaito. See you tomorrow!" She waved at him, as he started to walk away.

He returned the gesture and gave her one last wink before jogging out of sight. She shook her head, smiling, as she slowly walked back into the palace. _"What a flirtatious, odd man! He certainly is amusing... Hm, I wonder what will be in store for us tomorrow..."_


	12. Chapter 11: Off on a Picnic we Go!

_"**T**oday's the day!"_ Rin thought excitedly, as she made any last-minute adjustments to her attire. Today, she wore a lovely pale blue dress with beautiful silver designs swirling across the front. It was somewhat low-cut, but not enough to show any cleavage. Ruffles and frills adorned the chest area and neckline, and they came to a rest a little below her shoulders. She let her golden hair cascade down her bare shoulders, while an elegant jeweled hairpin pinned some of her hair back and away from her face. Flicking her hair back, and nervously touching the low shoulders of her dress, Rin glanced back to see Len hurriedly approaching her.

He bowed, and smiling at her, he said, "Good morning, Princess." As he took a look at her outfit, his eyes widened. _"Wow. She looks gorgeous..." _"My my! You look wonderful today!"

Rin giggled as she replied, "Really? You think so? Oh, thanks Len! Always flattering me!" Her face turned a faint shade of pink as she beamed up at him.

"Oh, it isn't mere flattery, Your Highness..." _"It's the truth..."_ He replied, smiling, eyes filled with longing and sadness. _"She's getting so dolled up for_ **_him_.**"

Rin's eyes twinkled. "Well, Len! Did you make sure everything is ready? Did you pack the lunches?"

Len nodded. "Of course, Princess! Now, all we must do is wait for Sir Kaito." He gritted his teeth at that name.

Suddenly, the Butler announced, "Princess Rin! Sir Kaito has arrived!" Rin gathered up her skirts and went outside to meet him. Len reluctantly followed after her. When he could clearly see the two figures again, jealously raged throughout Len. Sir Kaito bent down to kiss the Princess' hand, and she in turn blushed. _"...Ugh." _Len's hand clenched into a fist involuntarily. _"For how long must I put up with this?"_

Len slowly went up to them, and half-heartedly greeted the other man. "Good morning to you, Sir Kaito." He made sure to paste a small smile upon his lips.

The blue-haired man turned to get a look at the sudden outburst. Upon seeing Len, a polite smile formed on Kaito's face. "Oh, hello! You must be Len, the Princess' servant! She's told me about your relationship; how she cannot go anywhere without you!"

Len blinked at his words. _"Huh? ...Our_ _**relationship**_? _She can't go anywhere without me..?"_

Rin blushed harder. "Uhhh... well yes. Len is a very special person to me." She looked at him, aqua blues locking upon another almost identical pair.

Len could feel his heart rate increasing, as his bitter jealousy settled down into a nice, warm and fluffy emotion. _"...What is **this** feeling?" _He wondered.

"Well, let's get going, then, shall we?" Kaito stretched out a hand to Rin, as he prepared to get into the carriage. Rin took it, as she was hoisted up. Len slowly entered the carriage, refusing any help. As the carriage started to move along the road, Len stared out the window.

_"I wonder why Len's acting so strange once again today... the day has barely begun! Hmm... maybe with some fresh air, he'll feel better." _Rin pondered to herself. _"Ugh. Why does Len always make me worry about him? Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? The man worrying after the lady. The servant worrying about his master... Len sure likes to mix things up..."_

* * *

**Author's Note: Hello, everyone~ Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting this!**

**Just to clear up any confusions or whatnot, here is a picture of what I wanted Rin's dress to be: image/15700687334 (copy and paste this link onto Google search, and then it is the first result).**

**I apologize if I was unable to describe it properly! I know this chapter was short, but please bear with me. I will add more parts to this little scenario soon! The day has barely begun! I'm planning to make their outing _quite_ eventful. ;D**

**School also starts for me quite soon, so I may not be able to update this frequently. But I will try! :x**


	13. Chapter 12: A Mysterious Letter

"**S**o, Princess..."_  
_

Rin tore her gaze away from Len, to see Kaito's face, merely inches from her's. Without thinking, she squeaked in surprise and shuffled away. "Y-yes..?"

Kaito chuckled as he sat upright and in his original position. "Ah ah~ No need to be so flustered, Princess. I was just wondering what was going inside of that pretty little head of yours..." Kaito turned to gaze out the window as well. "You should stop staring at Len, and look out the window! We're getting out of the city, now, so some beautiful scenery should await us ahead!"

"...A-ah, I see. Very well." But Rin couldn't help but catch herself worrying over Len. _"I wonder if he's ill in any sort.. he seemed fine this morning..."_

Suddenly, Len snapped out of his dream-like state, and glared at the both of them. His eyes narrowed, as they darted from Rin to Kaito, full of skepticism. "..What exactly was _that_ about?"

Kaito smirked. "Oh, nothing you should worry about~". In response Len's face set into a scowl. He rose from his seat, and said, "Princess. Would you mind moving over a little to the right?"

Rin nodded and did as he requested. In the seat where Rin once sat, Len plopped himself down. Kaito looked rather upset at this sudden seat change. "What are you-"

Len grinned deviously at Kaito. "I'm just doing my duty, Sir. I'm protecting the Princess from_ unwanted advances_ that you may inflict upon her." With that, he made a great deal of getting himself comfortable.

Rin couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Oh, you two! Acting like children~". Both of the men looked surprised at her reaction. They blinked at her with wide eyes, and then glared at each other. Kaito raised an eyebrow at Len, while Len merely shrugged in response.

* * *

As they made their way deeper into the countryside, Rin began to be mesmerized by the scenery. Thick clusters of trees grew along the road, and soon all they could see were tall trees. The grass became thicker and greener, wildflowers grew here and there. Suddenly, a glittering expanse of water came into view, still somewhat in the distance. The sunlight danced across it's surface. Rin was breath taken. She involuntarily let out a little gasp.

Kaito noticed this, and smiling, asked, "Would you like to stop here?". Rin nodded vigorously, as Kaito called out to the driver. It slowly came to a rest near a lush meadow with a good view of the lake. Being the gentleman he was, Kaito helped Rin out of the carriage, with Len grumbling under his breath.

The moment Rin's feet touched the ground, she raced across the meadow. She was so excited and delighted, that she couldn't even speak until she heard laughter behind her. Kaito was once again laughing, but this time, Len was smiling as well. She stopped in her tracks.

"The Princess isn't all too mature at times, I see." Kaito remarked, an amused smile gracing his lips.

"I hate to do this... but, I'll have to agree with you on this one..." Len added, grinning.

"I am NOT being immature!" Rin cried indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. The two men started snickering again at this. "Oh...!" Rin huffed as she stomped a few feet away from them. She sighed, and was just about to sit down on the grass, when Len gently touched her shoulder.

"Princess, you musn't sit down on the grass like that. It would dirty your dress. Here, sit on this." Len reached out to give her his servant uniform's jacket.

"Oh, why thank you! I completely forgot about that..." Rin smiled gratefully up at him, all irritation gone. _"I still feel bad for sitting on his coat..." _She accepted his coat, and gently sat on it. She hugged her knees, as she gazed at the lake.

Kaito took a seat at Rin's left, while Len sat down by her right. The three of them just sat in silence, watching the beautiful scenery; each lost in his own thoughts.

* * *

Suddenly, Rin felt a sudden pang of hunger. "Oh, I'm getting hungry... Len, could you bring the basket?" As Len walked off to get the prepared lunches from the carriage, she looked at Kaito. "Aren't you hungry, Sir Kaito?"

"Not all that much, but yes... a little." He replied.

Len came back, with a large basket, wrapped in a bundle. He gracefully spread the blanket out, and set the food on it. Smiling and bowing slightly at Rin, he said, "Lunch is served, Princess."

And so, Rin helped herself to a wonderful meal of cheese, French bread, and some little sandwiches that were composed of roast beef and Worcestershire sauce. "Delicious!" She exclaimed. "My compliments to the chief."

Len smirked, as he thought, _"Well, I **did** hover around the chief, constantly bugging him to make sure **certain** **things **were put into it..."_

Suddenly, as she was almost finished with her meal, Kaito was shuffling things inside the basket. He suddenly, gasped as he fished something out. "Princess! Look what I found...!" In his hand was a small, plain envelope. The only words written on it were: _To Princess Rin._

Len, followed by Rin, leaned over to see the letter. Her eyes widened, as her heart started to beat wildly inside of her chest. _"...W-who could this be from? And why is it addressed to me?" _Thoughts and emotions swirled inside of her mind, overwhelming her.

With trembling hands, she took the letter from Kaito, and broke the wax seal that was placed on it. She slowly pulled the piece of paper out, and unfolded it.

* * *

**Author's Note: NOOO! School is going to start tomorrow. :/**

**I'll try to keep updating! Writing this is actually a big stress reliever for me. Please read, review, follow, and favorite! It'll give me more motivation. 3**


	14. Chapter 13: Fear, Then Comfort

**I**t seemed as if all creation was holding it's breath as Rin unfolded the letter. Her eyes slowly scanned the page, absorbing the words. Her dainty little hands started to tremble, as she face paled. Her pretty large aquamarine eyes started to well up in frightened tears.

"Are you alright, Princess Rin?" Kaito asked anxiously. "What did the letter say?"

"...It said something about..." Rin had difficulty explaining and hesitated.

"Go on, it's alright..." Kaito urged, moving closer to her, and placing a comforting hand on her arm.

"It said something about... s_omeone.. _wanting me... _gone_." Rin managed to choke out.

"..._Gone? As in... __dead?" _Kaito cautiously replied.

She nodded, tears starting to fall from her eyes, as she shook like a leaf. Len went over to Rin, while Kaito gently took the paper from her hands and moved away from them. Len slowly took her hands in his. Through her blurred vision, she could see Len's comforting smile. He then took her trembling form into his arms, whispering soothing words in her ear, trying to calm her down.

Kaito wished he could be the one doing comforting her, but he knew that her childhood friend and loyal servant was probably a better choice for now. He quickly skimmed over the letter with his narrowed cold blue eyes. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his teeth as he concluded, "It seems that someone has written a threatening letter to Princess Rin. It illustrates the writer's view of the princess as selfish, apathetic, and cruel person... it called her a 'Daughter of Evil', hm.." Kaito furrowed his brows at the paper in his hands.

Len gave Rin's back one more pat, and slowly got up and went over to Kaito. "Could I see that, please?" Len asked, outstretching a hand. Kaito nodded as he passed the letter onto Len. _"Ah, is it finally my turn to comfort the dear Princess? Wait... ugh, stop thinking such things, Kaito! You sick little... *sigh*. Brain, just shut it, will you?__"_

Kaito then took a seat next to Rin. He didn't know exactly _how_ to start talking to her anymore. He nervously cleared his throat while fidgeting with his shirt cuffs. "Ahem... so.."

Rin just looked at him with fear in her eyes. "I'm just so scared, Sir Kaito..." She whispered. Kaito felt a deep sympathy for her, as he felt his heart sink. "_Someone wanted to get rid of the Princess... what for? Who could possibly gain from killing the Princess?"_

"Now, now. Princess Rin, please calm down." Kaito cooed. "You are the Princess after all! Who can dare to lay a finger on the one and only Princess of this kingdom? Just make sure to tighten the security around the palace, near your quarters, and have some handy men with you at all times." He added, reassuringly.

Rin forced a small smile upon her pale face. "T-thank you for your assuring words, Sir Kaito. I'll... try to do just that..."

"Oh, come on, Miss Rin! Please do lighten up. It's probably one of the kitchen maids that decided to pull a prank on you! Besides, you have Len to protect you, day and night. And you have me as well! I will try to protect you as much as my power allows." Kaito did his best to try and get her to show a genuine smile. He smiled at her, hoping to make her feel better with his odd ways.

"You... you think so? Oh, I sure do hope." Rin shifted uneasily.

While Kaito and Rin were distracted, Len carefully analyzed the letter. _"Penmanship... far too elaborate and feminine to be a male. The letters frequently swirl into flourishes of the pen, and are slightly narrower than what we men, are taught how to write. Or maybe... this person **wanted** us to think that... Hmm. Could it be that a man wrote this, wanting to fool us into thinking it was a woman? Why..? Or, maybe... the man's accomplice is a woman, and she wrote it for him, again, trying to lead us to wrong conclusions. But the big question is... why on Earth would they send this to the Princess? What would they benefit from that...?"_

Len was interrupted from his thoughts, as he suddenly heard a roll of thunder. He froze, stock-still in place. He glanced over at Rin and Kaito, meeting their eyes. _"Did you hear that?"_

Another crack of thunder, this time much louder, sounded across the sky. "Make a run for the carriage!" Len shouted above the roar, as he rushed over to escort Rin into the carriage. Hearing the storm coming, the royal horses snorted nervously, pawing the ground and shaking their heads. Hesitating for a second, Len gave Princess Rin over to Kaito. Kaito immediately took her hand, and led her into the carriage.

Len rushed over to the horses, whispering soothing words in their ears, and patting their velvety noses softly. Then, raindrops started to fall. Len hastily climbed up to the top of the carriage, where the driver's seat was located. "Gakupo! Take us back to the palace! The Princess-"

To his utter disbelief, the driver was not at his usual post. _"What...?" _Len wondered, horror coiling deep inside the pit of his stomach. Just as he was about to report the driver missing to the Princess, he heard a rustling in the now-darkened woods. Gripping the hilt of his sword at his side, Len lowered himself down with a thud, and braced himself for whatever creature may have popped out. Familiar long purple hair pulled into a high ponytail greeted his sight, as Len saw a tall figure stumbling from out of the trees.

"G-Gakupo? That's you, isn't it? I was horrified to find you absent from your post! I thought you-" Len exclaimed, but stopped short when the tall man suddenly staggered, and almost fell at Len's feet. Len leaped back, as the purple-haired man all but collapsed on the spot. Len then noticed that he was clutching his side, breathing heavily. His hand was stained with red. The man's eyelids were narrowed, fluttering, desperately trying to keep themselves open.

Len sucked in his breath. "Gakupo!" He rushed forward, prodding the fallen man to sling his arm around Len's shoulders. Len struggled to hoist the very tall man to his feet. "Gakupo, do you hear me? Open your eyes!" Muttering incoherently, the man slowly let his eyelids droop. "Don't loose consciousness on me!" Len pleaded.

By now the rain had started to pour from the sky, and Len was starting to get soaked, stumbling with the unconscious man in tow. "Sir Kaito! Princess Rin!" He shouted over the rain.

The carriage door opened and immediately upon seeing Len, Kaito jumped out, and ran forward to assist him. "Who.. oh, this is the driver, correct? What happened!" Kaito exclaimed, concerned eyes scanning over Gakupo's limp body.

"I honestly don't know," Len replied. "I found him to be missing from his carriage driver seat, and then he stumbled out form the deeper part of the woods. It seems he's wounded."

Kaito gently pried off Gakupo's hand at his side. "He's wounded, indeed." Both males could clearly see on Gakupo's side, a large blood stain, that was quickly spreading.

"It's more serious than I thought..." Len mumbled as he knit his eyebrows together.

"We must get him medical attention immediately. Since he cannot drive, how about you drive, Len?"Kaito asked.

Len squared his shoulders as he have a quick, firm nod. "Affirmative." He replied, before hopping onto the stagecoach's driver seat. Hearing the door click behind him, Len snapped the reins against the horses' flanks. "Hi-yah! Yah!" He cried, his vision blurred by the pouring rain. By now, Len didn't care if he was soaked through. A fellow servant was gravely injured. Death was a great possibility. No, he couldn't let that happen. Not in his hands. The world was already filled with cold-hearted apathetic humans. _He _certainly wasn't planning on being one. _"This world needs all the compassion it can get..."_

The stagecoach raced on by, the horses whisking them as fast as they could, to the ground of the palace. When they finally reached the palace gates, Len yanked on the reins, yelling "Woah!". The horses smoothly came to a stop, seat and rain running down their sleek coats. Shaking the water from his hair and eyes, Len lept down, as he was met by a stableboy.

"Master Len, why are you driving-" The boy started, but Len cut him off.

"Quick! Get the medics! The driver is severely wounded. It seems like a knife wound. He's loosing lots of blood. Go, now!" Len shouted, as he then ran towards the carriage door. He opened it, and Kaito immediately rushed out with Rin, who were struggling to drag Gakupo's limp body out of the somewhat cramped carriage. Len immediately assisted them, and only moments later, a medic and his crew came rushing over with a cot. They loaded Gakupo onto the cot, and whisked him away.

Rin was on the verge of crying. She could barely stand the sight of this man's blood, that was pouring out like the rain that was pouring upon them right now. Everyone; Len, Kaito, and Rin were all drenched to the bone. But it didn't seem to bother any of them. They took a moment to stand in the silence, gravely, worrying about Gakupo. _"A loyal servant..." "A respectable man..." "A friend..."_

Of course, Len had snapped back to reality when he heard the Princess start coughing. It was muffled and soft, but it was there. Immediately feeling ashamed of not attending to the Princess, and getting lost in his thoughts, Len ushered both Kaito and Rin inside he palace. Paula led Rin up to her chambers, while Kaito took a carriage back to his home.

* * *

Back in his room, Len took a bath and changed into his sleepwear. But he paced across his room, back and forth. He racked his mind for any possible conclusions or leads. _Any._ _"Why was Gakupo, the driver who went on this outing, attacked? The strange letter... could it be that this mysterious person could have organized some kind of ambushed attack? Te Princess' life was in grave danger as well!" _That thought made Len shudder, while in the pit of his stomach, fiery nausea began to build. _"W__hatever I do, __I must protect the Princess...". _His mind slowly drifted back to the strange, very dangerous events of today. _"Was there any other reason for Gakupo to be attacked? Or was it solely the reason that he was the Royal Carriage Driver? It certainly seemed as if the letter and Gakupo's attacker must be linked somehow. Ah, but let's not make judgments yet. Just be wary and alert. Protect the Princess, and the Royal family. But don't jump to any unnecessary conclusions. Let's just wait and watch, for now... until what move we must make is clear..."_ Len told himself.

His rapidly beating heart, and the adrenaline rushing through his veins could not be subdued. He felt as if there was an attacker, looming around the palace. He tried to shake off the feeling, but he couldn't. His mind refused to relax and let him get some rest. Letting out a deep sigh, Len raked a hand through his wet hair and momentarily closed his tired eyes.

But his mind raced on, jumping from conclusion to conclusion, picking one up and then discarding it within half a second. Growling in frustration, he snapped his eyes open and slammed a fist onto the table. Much to his relief, his heartrate slowed down, and his reeling mind somewhat felt eased. But then, something deep down in his heart, tugged at him. He wanted to go and comfort the Princess as she must've had quite a big fright today. Len was sure she'd try and pretend nothing was bothering her in front of everyone, but after Paula bid her goodnight and closed the door, she would be crying under the covers. That was just so much like her.

A small smile starting to form, Len quietly creaked open his door, and slunk away to find the Princess' room. As he approached her room, he could see that there were two burly figures standing nearby. His heart skipped a beat, and then proceeded to pump like it would fall out of his chest. Len could hear the blood rushing into his ears. He slowly inched closer and closer, straining his eyes to try and see who exactly these people were. He was ready to make a run for it and shout for help, thinking that these men were a threat to the PPrincess, but as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see that they were wearing Royal guard uniforms. Len let out a sigh of relief, and irritatedly reflected on how scared he had gotten. _"Hmph. I bet I lost atleast 5 years of my life..."_ Len grumbled to himself, inwardly.

The guards, upon hearing Len's sudden exhale of air, immediately reached for their weapons and cried out, "Who goes there?". In a flash of silver, two gleaming swords were at Len's throat. He stiffened, but tried not to give any signs of fear.

"Woah, woah. Easy, men! It is I, Len. First-class servant of Princess Rin." He said, solidly looking into their eyes. His voice and rigid, unnerved posture radiated of authority.

The two men raised their eyebrows, and looked to each other, then back at him. One retreated, and went back to their post, to light a lantern. He came back and handed it over to the second man, who held it up to Len's face.

His suspicious squinted eyes, widened as recognition flooded his face. "Ah, it is Master Len!" They shuffled back to their position of attention and saluted Len. "We are very sorry, sir. We apologize for not recognizing you."

Len gave a low chuckle as he gave a smile. "It's alright, men. This tells me that you are avidly staying alert to protect the Princess. These are the kind of soldiers this country needs!" The guards beamed at him, as he saluted them back.

"Are you here to see the Princess, Master Len?"

"Yes, yes I am. She wouldn't already be asleep, would she?"

"...No, she shouldn't. Paula left about quarter of an hour ago. I don't think Princess Rin would fall asleep _that_ quickly, don't you think so Dave?" One asked.

The other nodded in agreement. "Yes, Bruce. I believe you should be right."

"Thank you, gentlemen, for your information. Now if I may..." Len replied, motioning towards the door.

"Ah, of course! Princess? Princess Rin? Master Len is here to see you!" A short period of silence followed before a muffled, "Let him in." came from the room.

Len gave a warm smile to both guards as he went inside. When he did, he was practically blinded by the light emitting from the candles in her room. "Ah!" He growled, as he shield his eyes with his arm. "...Princess?"

As he had predicted, her blonde head popped up from the covers, as he saw her tear-stricken face. Putting out half the candles, but leaving most of them burning, Len slowly went over to her. She looked like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Her wide blue eyes held a great degree of pain and fear. A slightly different variation of the emotions Len was feeling earlier, in his room.

Len's tiredness melted away, as he saw her trembling. His heart completely melted at the sight, and it showed in his eyes. Rin wasn't sure if it was the candle-light, but Len's equal blue eyes seems shiny and glossed, as if he were holding back unseen tears. Voice cracking, he softly said, _"Princess..."_

Before he could utter another word, Rin flung back the covers, and clung onto him, sobbing into his chest. Surprised at her sudden outburst, Len's cheeks slowly flamed a pink. But it soon faded, as he saw her small frame once again being racked by sobs. Boy, was today a very dramatic day... she was crying like this _twice_ in a day.

His heart reached out to her, as he timidly reached out a hand to stroke her soft hair. In response, she buried her face deeper into his shirt. Len gently put his arms around her, and rubbed circles on her back, as he murmured soothing sounds.

Slowly, her sobs began to quiet down, and her body relaxed. She lifted her tear-stained face, as she forced a small smile upon her lips. "Thank you so much, Len... for being here.. for me."

Len gave her a warm smile, as he overlapped his hand on hers, and gently squeezed it. "It's nothing..."

Smiling genuinely, Len saw Rin's eyes droop. Her face relaxed into the smile, as she slumped against him once again, this time in peaceful slumber. Len chuckled at her cute, odd behavior. He brushed a stray strand of golden hair from her face, as he peered at her face. He hadn't been able to look at her face this closely before. He noticed that her skin was milky-white, with long golden eyelashes to match her hair. Her lips looked soft and pink. The bridge of her nose was curved just right. Suddenly embarrassed for thinking such things, Len's face darkened in a deep blush. He gently pulled her sleeping form off him, and lifted her into his arms. She shifted, and Len was scared for a moment, how awkward it would be if she woke up in this situation. When she continued to sleep, he carried her over to her bed, and gently laid her down, and tucked her in. Planting a chaste kiss on her forehead, he looked down at her warmly, before silently exiting the room.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm so very sorry for the long wait! I was telling myself I need to update sooner, but my schoolwork got the better of me. T^T**

**Well, this chapter was extra long, so I hope that compensates! Oh, and I've got an announcement to make: I started another fanficton called "Diamond in the Rough". This one can be found on my profile. But here's the link anyway: s/8509072/1/A-Diamond-in-the-Rough**

**This will be a major crossover with England from APH (Axis Powers Hetalia), Howl's Moving Castle, and Rin from Vocaloid. This story takes place in the setting for Howl's Moving Castle. Rin Kagamine will be the main girl: A poor, lower class girl with a desire to escape the world/society she is living in... a wish for something _more_, I suppose? (think Belle from Beauty and the Beast? LOL I'm not actually too sure yet. xD;). Of course, she'll have SOME kind of issue, now, wouldn't she? There will be two main guys after her heart; Howl and Arthur Kirkland. Arthur is the refined, yet snarky British gentleman we love and know him as, while Howl is the suave yet somewhat mischievous and vain wizard he was portrayed as in the movie.**

**Remember this is what I _plan_ on happening.. but, I'm a pretty fickle person, and I often do things on whim... so.. if I don't end up following my original idea, I'll try to tell you guys in advance! ^^**


	15. Chapter 14: More Puzzle Pieces

**R**in's eyes slowly opened from her deep sleep. Feeling groggy and disoriented, she dragged herself out of her bed, and splashed water on her face. With the cold water splashing onto her face, her eyes immediately widened and focused. Now that she was fully awake, she became aware of her surroundings. The morning light weakly penetrated the silk draperies. _"Ah, it must be early morning. The sun isn't even fully up."_ Rin was able to conclude.

Remembrance of the events of yesterday suddenly flooded her mind. She let out a little gasp. _"Oh, poor Gakupo! I should pay him a visit... I hope... he's alright."_

Seeing as Paula, or any of her maids were not up yet, Rin decided to take the liberty of dressing herself. This turned out to be not too great of an idea.

Stumbling, and almost crashing into her nightstand, Rin was barely able to pull on her socks. It was even worse with her shoes. Those damned laces! After a few minutes of struggling to keep herself balanced, while tightening her laces, she got fed up and just plopped down on the floor. Scowling in frustration, she cursed inwardly. _"Damn it all! Why am I unable to even pull on a pair of socks and shoes?! ...I must be dumb. I times like this, I wish someone had taught me to dress myself...__" _She was tempted to just go and use the bell pull.

Just then, Paula swung the door open, and poked her head in. What greeted her eyes, made her burst out into a series of giggles. "Oh, Princess!.. You can't... you can't just put your shoes on... _before_ your... your clothes!" Paula spluttered between peals of laughter.

Rin huffed in defiance, as she glared at Paula. "And why _not_?" She asked crossly.

Paula couldn't help but smirk as she replied, "Well, Your Highness... don't you think it would be hard to pull all your undergarments on after you've worn your shoes?"

Rin's face reddened in embarrassment. "...I-I suppose you are correct there, Paula." She slumped in defeat.

Paula giggled, as she nodded slightly. "Now, would you like some assistance, milady?"

Rin grinned sheepishly in return as she nodded. She silently did whatever she was told, as Paula dressed her with ease.

Almost as if she could Rin's mind, Paula broke the silence. "You know, Your Highness... it's nothing to be ashamed of."

Rin was taken aback. "What do you mean, Paula?"

"Many nobles and especially royalty, do not know to how dress themselves. It is quite normal to be unable to properly dress yourself, Princess." Paula smiled gently down at her.

Rin stood silent. Finally, she replied, "Thank you for your reassuring words, Paula." She gave a sheepish smile.

As Paula was styling Rin's hair, she added, "If you would like, Your Highness... I could try and teach you to dress yourself..."

When looked at her with disbelief written all over her face, Paula quickly stammered. "U-uh, what I m-meant was... it certainly must be bothersome to have to rely on someone to always dress you, so I was thinking since you are so independent and all, you would like to know how to dress yourself..."

Rin was slightly amused by Paula's sudden reaction. _"Poor Paula, she looks like she's afraid I might strike her..."_ "Well, that sounds like a wonderful idea! Yes, I would like it very much, if you taught me how to dress myself." Rin replied happily.

Paula, upon seeing Rin's delighted expression, let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, I'm happy you're pleased, milady. I was afraid that you may have been angered because I acted too boldly."

Rin smirked. "But you do know, this doesn't mean that I will dress myself all the time. I still expect you to dress me, unless I specify otherwise."

For a second Paula looked surprised, but then she smiled. "Of course, Your Highness. I wouldn't assume otherwise." After fastening one last hair accessory, she said. "Now, you are fully dressed, milady."

Rin stood up and gave smiled at Paula. "Yes, thank you. You are dismissed." Paula curtsied respectfully before exiting.

_"Now, to visit Gakupo..."_ Rin thought, as she put on an air of dignity and poise, and walked out the door.

* * *

A knock sounded on the door.

_Knock. Knock-knock._

Gakupo's consciousness had started to return to him. Now that there were these sudden knocks, his mind started to sickeningly swirl, in an attempt to wake him. It felt as if his consciousness was thrown into a whirlpool, and it was struggling it's way to the surface, desperately trying to come back to him.

Slowly, his eyelids started to flutter, as his consciousness finally returned to him. From his blurred vision, he could make out a strange shape. Blinking a few times, he fully regained consciousness. As his vision focused and he could clearly see, he almost shot out of the bed. However, a sharp pain at his side crushed any desire to move. Gripping his side, and gasping and wincing painfully, he found small, cool hands come to his aid. They grasped his arms and steadied him, slowly setting him back down onto the bed.

"Shhh. At ease, Gakupo. There's no need to move." Rin's soft voice soothed, as she smiled warmly at him.

"P-Princess Rin! How.. why..." Gakupo's eyes widened as he stuttered almost incoherently.

Rin couldn't help but chuckle at her servant's behaviour.

"I-I'm so honored to have you here!" Gakupo exclaimed, bowing his head in respect.

"I just thought it would be the proper thing to come and check upon your health. Yesterday night... that really scared us. We thought we could've lost you..." Rin replied, her mind wandering back to the chaos and confusion of last night.

Gakupo raised an eyebrow. "'We?' Who exactly do you mean by that, Your Highness?"

"Think about it, Gakupo... who else in this palace would be worried about you?" Rin replied.

After a brief moment of silence, Gakupo answered, "It's Len, isn't it?"

Rin nodded solemnly. Just then, there was another knock on the door. "Come in!" Rin called.

Len's worried face appeared. When he saw Gakupo, sitting up and with Rin next to him, a huge smile of relief formed across his face. Gently closing the door, Len strode in with that grin of his.

"Speak of the devil; guess who's here?" Gakupo replied, grinning as well.

"Good God, Gakupo! I thought we might've lost you! I was worried sick!" Len exclaimed. Len clasped hands with Gakupo warmly.

"I would hug you, pretty boy, but I can't.. my side hurts..." Gakupo replied, gingerly placing a hand on his injured side.

"Yes. About that.." Rin looked troubled, as she bit her lip. When she didn't continue on, Len decided to jump in for her.

"Do you remember how you got that wound? You were unconscious by the time we were rushing to get you back to the palace..."

Gakupo knitted his brows together and closed his eyes. Vague flashes of the woods, blood, and the sound of someone's voice ran through his memories. "...I'm not certain if this is accurate enough, but..."

Rin and Len immediately leaned in eagerly, waiting for what he had to say.

"I can't help but remember of some dark, rainy woods..." Gakupo hesitatnly started.

"Yes! That's because you were with us, when we went on the outing the other day!" Len clarified. _"W're getting somewhere! I hope we can track down this attacker, and keep the Princess safe..."_

"..Is that so?" Gakupo inquired, almost in disbelief. Suddenly, his face brightened as recognition flooded his features. "Oh yes! I do remember that I was assisting the outing of Princess Rin and Sir Kaito the other day."

Len and Rin nodded. "Please carry on, Gakupo." Rin said.

"Ah, yes. As I was saying... then I remember..." Gakupo's senses were suddenly flooded with memories from that day, and he screwed his eyes shut for a moment.

Immediately, a concerned Princess Rin and Len were hovering over him. "Are you alright?" Rin asked, worry plastered over her face.

"Yes, yes. I'm quite alright. I just remembered all of what happened that day.." Gakupo replied, eyes narrowing.

"Please, do tell..!" Rin urged.

"Well, I stationed the horses several yards away from your picnic area, and to leave you in peace, I went off into the woods, hoping to find something to entertain myself." Gakupo said, ears burning from embarrassment. _"Great. That made me sound very mature indeed. Great work, Gakupo."_ He told himself.

"Anyways," he carried on, "I wandered around a little bit, observing the wonderful scenery, when suddenly a cloaked figure emerged from the trees. I, in self-defense, pulled out my small-sword. The figure chuckled darkly, before asking the whereabouts of the Princess. Of course, I did not give him any information as to where she was. I refused. He kept on asking me, and I refused each time. I demanded that he show himself, and identify who he was and why he wanted that information. He too did not tell me. Then he charged at me. I thought I had the upperhand at this fight, as I had a small-sword. He seemed to be unarmed. But he suddenly whipped out a rapier. With that kind of a weapon against mine, I knew he had the upperhand. Our swords clashed for a while, and all the while, we were demanding information from the other."

Rin's mouth was in the shape of a little 'O', while Len's eyes were wide.

"I was able to keep up with his attacks. But he suddenly pulled out a dagger, and stabbed me in my side, here.." Gakupo took a moment to touch his side once more. "Then he whispered _'This isn't the end, Royal carriage-driver.'_ in my ear, before vanishing into the woods once more. I knew you and the Princess, as well as Sir Kaito, were probably in grave danger. I didn't know the full impact of how much damage he had done. I tried to immediately run over and tell you, but the pain was almost unbearable. It felt like..."

Len stopped him and motioned to the Princess. "...I think you should spare the details. The Princess might not be able to handle that too well..."

Rin's face was drained of color, and she seemed frightened. But she took a deep breath and replied, "Yes. Please skip the gory details, if you would. But please, do carry on."

Gakupo nodded and continued his account. "And so, I struggled to get to you. In that moment, the only thing on my mind, was warning you of that dangerous man. But I could tell that my energy was quickly draining. I was loosing blood, and my vision started to get blurry. The pouring rain didn't exactly help, either." He gave a brief bitter chuckle.

"Then, I finally spotted the carriage, and that's when you must've spotted me, Len. He ran over to me, and steadied me. I tried to tell him immediately, but my eyelids were growing very heavy. I couldn't help but close them, against my own will. I could hear Len's voice, but I was slowly engulfed in numb darkness. I... I thought I had died... I thought you weren't ever going to be aware of that..._ that monster_."

Rin's warm smile appeared back on her face, as she gently touched Gakupo's arm. "It's alright, Gakupo. Now, you are here, safe in the palace. You are on your road to recovery, so there's no need to fret."

Len was lost in thought. His eyes took on a stormy grey-blue shade as he knit his eyebrows together. "...Gakupo, are you sure this person was a man?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I briefly got to see his face under that hood. It was relatively handsome, I suppose. I don't remember much, but I clearly remember how his eyes held an almost burning-sort of... how would one call it? Anger? Hostility? Defiance? I don't know, but his whole being was menacing. He was a lithe as a panther, and deadly as one too, with those weapons of his. His voice was clearly masculine as well. There was no faking in it, as far as I could detect. He seemed like a man, through and through." Gakupo replied.

"Mmm... I see." Len muttered. "So, what exactly did the weapons he use to attack you,look like? What were his attacks like?"

"I remember that he was a very offensive fighter. I barely had any time to deflect his attack, before another one came. He seemed to use the 'slash-and-thrust' type of technique most frequently. He wielded a rapier, and later, a small dagger to stab me." Gakupo added.

"Ah, I see. Did you see anything unique or peculiar on his weapons? Any sort of emblem, crest, symbol..?"

Gakupo titled his head to one side, as he racked his brain. After a few minutes of silence, Gakupo perked up and his face brightened. "Oh! I do remember something odd about his weapons."

By this time, Rin was very interested in what Gakupo had to say. "Pray, do tell!"

"Well, I remember that his sword and dagger seemed to be very well polished. It was also well sharpened by the looks- err, more like _feels_ of it. Hmm, any symbols or crests? No, I don't think so... Well, now that you mention it, I think I saw... this... this, some kind of a drawing with a... here, can I just get a piece of paper and sketch it out?"

Len took a piece of paper out from his inside jacket pocket and a quill feather. After surveying the room, he located a ink holder, and grabbing that, handed Gakupo the needed items.

Gakupo carefully started to sketch an outline of a crown with a flower next to it. Above those two items, a black bird was drawn, with a sword in it's claws.

"...Did you really_ have_ to draw these? We would've understood what you were talking about..." Len mumbled, shaking his head.

"Sorry. I just wanted to draw them, that's all!" Gakupo exclaimed cheerily. Rin started to giggle behind her hand. Len just kept shaking his head.

"Well, what do you think these mean?" Gakupo added, staring at the things he had drawn.

Len was once again lost to his thoughts. Slowly, Len replied, "The crown obviously symbolized the Royal family, don't you think? And that flower... is that meant to be a lily?"

Gakupo nodded. "Yes. Ah, then.. a lily is often used to symbolize purity and beauty, isn't it? I don''t think he's calling the Princess as lovely as flower, though..."

Len nodded. "Yes... a lily also symbolizes death." His mouth was set into a tight line. "And that bird... it looks awfully close a raven or crow, doesn't it? You know the of superstitions I assume?"

"A foretelling of bad events..." Rin cut in. Len nodded. "Yes, you are correct, Princess."

"A raven clutching a sword... that doesn't seem very pleasant either." Gakupo added, worry starting to etch into his features.

* * *

Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door. _"Who could that be?" _Rin wondered. "Come in!" She called.

To their utter surprise, Sir Kaito stepped in, a pleasant smile on his face.

"Sir Kaito! What brings you here, at this early hour?" Rin asked, dropping a quick curtsy. Kaito strode into the room, and touched his lips to her hand, much to Len's annoyance.

"I decided to come visit your servant, Mr. Gakupo. After leaving yesterday night, I couldn't help but worry for the fellow." Kaito then turned to Gakupo who was propped up in the bed. "How are you faring, Mr. Gakupo? I'm glad to see that you are conscious. You were quite in the danger zone, chap." A relieved smile graced his lips.

"Thank you very much for your concern, my lord." Gakupo said, bowing his head respectfully.

"What were you doing here, Princess? And Len?" Kaito asked.

"For the same reason, you are here, Sir Kaito." Len replied with a touch of ice in his voice.

"Ah, I see.." Kaito replied. "Would you care to fill me in on what I have missed?"

"Of course." Len replied stiffly. "If you would step aside this way, sir. No need to repeat this in front of the princess." Len shot a glance at Rin.

She nodded in approval. Len and Kaito shuffled over to the corner, and Len spoke in hushed low mumbles. Rin watched Sir Kaito's face closely. He seemed to be almost entranced in the story, as his eyes widened every so often.

Snapping her attention back to Gakupo, she noticed that his face was still somewhat pale. "Gakupo, I think you should get some rest. It seems that your avid storytelling has drained your energy. Now, please close your eyes and get some rest. If you need anything, you may use the little bell on the nightstand, next to you. A maid or servant will come in occasionally, to check on you as well."

"Thank you very much, Princess Rin. Really, how can I ever express my gratitude." Gakupo mused.

Rin smiled and gave a short laugh. "Oh, no need for those mushy words. Just keep doing your job properly!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Gakupo mocked a hand salute. Rin shook her head and she laughed. She looked towards Len's direction. "Len, are you done yet?"

Len straightened up, and nodded his head. Kaito nodded as well. "Well, let's take our leave, then. Rest well, Gakupo." With that, Rin left, and Len shut the door gently.

* * *

"Where would you like to go now, Princess?" Len asked. _"Please don't go somewhere with only Sir Kaito..."_

"Hmm... I don't know. Would you like to go anywhere, Sir Kaito?" Rin asked, turning to Kaito.

He pondered upon this for a moment. Voice dropping to a whisper, he replied, "The truth is... I think I've come to some conclusions about the _mysterious letter_ and whatever's related to it. Could we go to the library, or someplace where we can discuss this?"

Rin's heartbeat accelerated with anxiety. _"Have my worries and fears come to an end? Has the culprit been found? ...Can we track him down? Oh, I hope so..."_

* * *

**_Author's Note: I'm terribly sorry for the extra long wait! School has been driving me off a cliff. _**

**_Anyways, thank you for the many views, wonderful reviews, favorites, and followers! Please enjoy~  
_****_Because of Hurricane Sandy, I got an unexpected 2 days off from school. Hopefully, I can write something up today and tomorrow for you guys!_**


	16. Chapter 15: Playing Detective

**O**nce inside the library, Len quickly shut the large oak doors. Ushering Rin to take a seat, Kaito led the three of them to a large and nicely furnished table with plush armchairs.

Rin took a glance at her favorite chair and smiled. _"Oh, how I've missed you, my lovely!"_ She cried in her head, as she rushed forward and plopped into it. A childish smile was plastered on her face, as she closed her eyes and basked in the comfort of her beloved chair.

Len couldn't help but laugh, as he shook his head. "Oh my, what has gotten into you, Princess?"

Kaito's face broke out into a wide smile as well. "I assume this is your favorite place to relax? I see I've chosen well..."

Rin opened her eyes and sat up. "Well... it's not necessarily my favorite place to relax,_ per se_..." Rin replied, with coy smile. "I have other places I like to relax in."

Kaito gave a smirk. "Whatever the lady says."

Rolling his eyes, Len spoke up. "Now, could we get to the point, please?"

"Right." Kaito responded. Briskly walking towards another chair, he sat down. "Please take a seat, Len."

"...I think I'll stand for now, thank you very much." Len replied, standing by Rin's side.

_"Hmph. Playing the loyal lap dog of the Princess, Len? I'm not stupid... I am obviously aware of your feelings for her. Do you think I have none?"_ Kaito took in a breath to calm his churning annoyance, before speaking. "Princess. I think Len and I were able to come to some very important conclusions."

Rin's heart started to thump again. Her hands started to become clammy, and she quickly clutched the folds of her dress. "..Y-yes. Please proceed."

Kaito gave a quick glance at Len, who gave him a quick nod. "What Len has deciphered from the symbols on the sword, seems very accurate. The crown and the lily together probably means, _'Death to the Royals'."_ Kaito couldn't help but be very concerned for the Princess. He looked to her, for any reactions.

Rin's hypnotic blue eyes were wide, and she seemed to be unsettled, but other than that, she was fine. _"I... I knew something like that was going to happen. That was obvious.." _Rin told herself. Taking in a sharp breath, and composing herself, she then gave a quick nod.

"What unsettles me, is the meaning of the raven with the sword..." Len added, his mouth forming a tight line once more.

There was a moment of silence, before Kaito spoke up. "I'm pretty sure, that is symbolizing the Prophecy, that some people proclaim are true."

"...'The Prophecy'? I've never heard of this..." Rin remarked quizzically.

"Ah, that's because of your innocence, dear Princess." Kaito replied grinning.

Rin's face reddened, mostly from aggravation, but partly from embarrassment. _"Oh great. Yet another thing I am completely clueless about. I bet the civilians know all about this. But I'm sick and tired of being told it's because I'm 'innocent', or 'sheltered from the world', or something like that! Quite offensive, really..."_

"But Princess... that's partly true. It's most likely because you haven't ever wandered the desolate streets at night, when the men and ladies come out into the alleys and whisper things. Things that are never uttered in broad daylight..." Len added, an ominous tone creeping into his voice.

Frankly, Rin was starting to be creeped out. "L-Len! Stop with the creepy nonsense!" She hissed. Dreading the answer, she asked, "...What exactly is this 'Prophecy' about?"

Grinning roguishly, Kaito began to speak. "Once, a long time ago, there is said to have been a little boy, with sunkissed golden hair, and sparkling blue eyes. This boy, is said to have been kidnapped from a faraway kingdom, and brought to this very kingdom; the Galemma kingdom. But this wasn't an ordinary kidnapping. Oh no, this was a deceitful plan, crafted by the King and Queen! They planned to have him become the heir to the throne. However, they vowed to make their daughter the Queen. Torn between their want for a prince, and their promise, the King and his lovely Queen were forced to abandon the newly kidnapped child. It rumored that the child, who has by now grown into a man, will come back to claim his 'rightful' place as King."

Rin was engrossed in this dark tale, and her eyes were wide, absorbing all of this, like a little child being told bedtime stories.

Finishing, Kaito let out busts of laughter. "Oh, you don't really believe that, do you, Princess? That's just what the commoners love to do; spin stories and call them 'great prophecies'!"

Unamused, Rin crossed her arms and leaned into her chair. "It was certainly interesting enough. But now, you call it some spun-off fairytale! Hmph."

Len's expression wasn't exactly as jolly as Kaito's, either. "Well, yes. What a lovely 'prophecy'. However, how does this even relate to the symbols Gakupo saw?"

Kaito's smile quickly vanished, and was replaced bu a thoughtful expression. "Hmm... well, do you think the people think of this? I'm sure many people are unhappy with the monarchy we have. Every kingdom must have some sort of rebellion once in a while, don't you agree? Now, I'm not saying this is as an offense to the King, Princess Rin."

"...And what do rebels need? A leader..." Len added.

"Yes. That's how a rebellion starts. And what will these rebels need?" Kaito asked, raising an eyebrow. "Weapons. Now, let's put all of this together."

"The crown and the lily probably mean, _'Death to the Royals.'_"

"And the raven with the sword must be a fortelling of bad events... a rebellion?"

"No." Rin boldly cut in. Len and Kaito looked at her in surprise, as she no longer seemed fearful. On the contrary, she seemed almost fearless. Her eyes held a defiant blaze in them as she stood up. "It is not a rebellion. My father is not a cruel ruler, nor is he selfish one, either. There haven't been any rebellions in the last few decades."

"I understand, Princess but.." Kaito started.

"The Princess is right, Sir Kaito. It might not be related to the 'prophecy' you were talking about." Len interjected. "Oh, please excuse my rudeness." Len gave a small bow of his head.

"Another meaning..? I suppose. Do you have anything in mind?" Kaito mildly asked, looking at Rin and Len.

"Well, yes. Ravens are mostly thought to be fortellers of death, war, and the like. But I don't think it has any connection to the possible rebellion you are speaking of." Rin thoughtfully replied. "Except for that one mysterious threatening letter, no one of the Royal family has received anything of the sort. What if..." Rin held her breath.

"What if _you_ are the lily?" Len added, gently. Eyes widening in surprise, Rin nodded her head. "H-how did you..?"

"To be honest, I've been thinking of the same things as you were, Your Highness. The reign of your father has been most peaceful, so there is a very slim chance of any rebellions." Len replied. "And if those symbols meant exactly what were led to believe, wouldn't that be far too obvious? I'm sure there is a deeper meaning to all of this..."

Kaito looked stunned. "My, my! Len, aren't you very wise! You could become a sleuth!" He said, clapping his hands lightly.

"Thank you for your kind words, Sir." Len replied. "As for the lily.. isn't Princess Rin the one and only future heir to the throne? Her sons and descendants are to be the future rulers of this land. She is the lovely flower of the Royal family." He added, glancing meaningfully at Rin.

Light pink dusting her cheeks, Rin said. "Thank you, Len. You flatter me." She quickly gazed down at her hands.

"Ahhh, I see what you are getting at, Len.." Kaito replied. "So, the lily is representing the Princess, who is the flower of the Royal family, which is being symbolized by the crown."

"Yes. But what of the raven holding the sword?" Len mused.

"Well, the raven means death, war, or prophecies and foretellings, right? A raven with a sword... a flower of the Royal family..." Kaito muttered. "Oh! I got it!" He suddenly exclaimed.

Len and Rin focused their eyes on Kaito. Excitedly, he said, "The flower... it should 'grow' on the vine of the Royal family, right?"

As it soaked in, Len slowly shook his head in understanding. "Ohh.. I'm starting to get what you're saying..."

Suddenly, Kaito's face slowly became solemn. " So... wouldn't the symbolism of a raven and a sword- would that mean that the 'lily' is going to be cut off from the 'crown'?" His voice was barely a mumble at the end of his sentence.

"And the fact that the mysterious attacker and the letter happened on the same day... at the time we were on the outing..." Len slowly added.

"It must definitely mean that these two incidents are linked, somehow." Kaito said. "Why would Gakupo be the attacked? He's not from a wealthy, prominent family... he has no title except.."

"The title as the Royal carriage-driver." Rin added, biting her lip.

"I think this is certain; someone attacked Gakupo, and slipped in that letter to the Princess. Someone wants harm to fall upon her." Len said, gravely serious.

There was a thick silence in the room, as all three of them slowly absorbed all of this information. Voice barely above a whisper, Rin squeaked, "...But, _why?_"

Her small hands trembled, as she bit her lip. Her blue eyes wavered, and Len could see the fearful tears threatening to fall. The almost fearless young woman he had seen just several minutes ago, had been reduced to his once again.

"Do not worry, Princess. Remember what I swore to you on that day, when we were young? I promised to protect you, with my life and with everything I could do. I will uphold that vow." Len gently said, as he took one of her shaking hands into his.

"I also vow to protect you, with all that I can, and if my life is necessary." Kaito added, placing a hand over his heart. His eyes held extreme tenderness, as he gazed into her own.

"...T-thank you, gentlemen. I am greatly relieved by your words. I greatly hope that your lives will not have to be put in danger, for my safety." Rin shakily replied, forcing an almost tearful smile.

"Princess, I think telling the King and Queen about this, is important." Kaito said.

"I.. I don't want to worry, Father and Mother..." Rin said, pursing her lips.

"Don't you think it'll worry them even more, if you fall into danger in the future, and they didn't know about this?" He gently added.

"..I suppose.." Rin answered. "Yes, I think that's the right thing to do."

"Would you like for us to go with you?" Len asked.

"Uhh... I would like it, if you did come with me. I wouldn't want Father to get into a fit and end up arresting everybody." Rin replied, giving a small smile.

Len let out a brief chuckle. "Of course, Your Highness..."

"Well, then. What are we waiting for? Let's go! Kaito cheerily replied. Extending a crooked elbow, he gave her a flirtatious grin as he asked, "Aren't you coming, Your Highness?"

A genuine smile formed across Rin's face, as she let out a small laugh, and accepted his arm. "Of course, Sir Kaito."

With that, the three of them marched out and to the throne room, where they were determined to put an end to this constant danger to Princess Rin's welfare.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hello, everyone! I was able to write up another chapter! Aren't you glad? I hope this makes up for the long wait. ^^;  
Hurricane Sandy seemed to have passed, err, the good part of it, atleast. But I still won't be having school tomorrow! :D  
I don't think I'm going to write another chapter though. I have homework and studying to do. I have spent far too much time on this. So, until then, please enjoy~ Your reviews, favorites, and follows are very motivating!**


	17. Chapter 16: Emotional Turmoil

**H**onestly, Rin was confused. _Very_ confused. Whenever she would ponder upon the issue, her head would spin. The problem was... _what the bloody hell was wrong with her?!_ Her heart would strangely flutter, and pound whenever Sir Kaito would flash her his dashing smile, or touch her hand. Whether she liked it or not, the heat would rush to her face, and inevitably expose her discomfort. _Wait._ She wasn't even sure if it was merely discomfort, or not. _"Do I actually **like** his advances?"_

She was filled with mortification. For some strange reason, she felt... guilt, tugging at her heart. _"Why do I feel almost guilty? As if... I'm betraying some part of me. Does that even make sense? Am I turning insane?"_

What made it worse, was the look that Len would give her. She could see it for a brief moment before his clear blue eyes would turn a icy stormy-grey. She could sense pain and jealousness in his brief gaze. At first, she thought it was just her imagination. But, she saw it a few more times, and it became certain. Len did not like her with Kaito.

When Len shot her that hurt, betrayed, yet angry look, Rin wanted to stop in her tracks. She wanted to rush over to him, and give him a big hug, mumbling apologizes... but for what, she had yet to discover. But she couldn't. Not with Kaito, smiling expectantly down at her. She swallowed her feelings, and continued to smile back at him.

Countless times, that had happened. Not only was Len hurt, but now, Rin was seriously starting to be affected as well. When that piercing glance was flung at her, it seemed to be aimed just for her heart. It stuck like an arrow, and sunk in, slowly creating a bleeding wound in her heart. All warmth and happiness was sapped from her heart momentarily, as it suddenly weighed as heavy as a boulder. It would sink down into the depths of her being.

Driving her to extreme frustration and bewilderment, she could just not figure out the reason for Len's sudden strange behaviors. _"Why is he acting so strange? I mean, sure, I'm spending a lot of time with Sir Kaito now... but what's that got to do with him? He's still my closest friend. And... he should know that nobody could ever change that!" _A flash of irritation flashed through Rin's being.

_"How can I ever understand him, if he doesn't express himself!"_

Before she could carry on with her mental rant, she was interrupted by the presence of the object of her irritation.

Trying her best to seem normal, Rin spoke in a choked voice. "What is it, Len?" _"Damn it! I sound horrible..."_

Len's eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Is something bothering you, Princess? You seem a bit... unlike yourself."

Anger boiling in the pit of her stomach, Rin forced her lips into a tight-lipped smile. _"I wanted to ask you the same damn thing..."_ Forcing herself to restrain herself, and to not speak rashly, she took a moment to answer.

"Well, Len. I could ask the same thing of you." Rin heard her own voice ring throughout the room in a light, calm tone. _"Hmm, I suppose I'm getting much better at controlling my tone."_

Len acted just as Rin expected him to. He merely blinked, and stared at her. As she studied his face very carefully, his eyes told her that he was very much in shock. His jaw line hardened, as his eyes held some sort of sadness, mixed with some tender-looking emotion. He looked as if he was at a loss of words; like he had been caught red-handed. _"Which of course, he is." _Rin couldn't help but think, smirking inwardly.

With an equally calm tone, with a hint of teasing, Rin raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Oh, Len you seem to be caught in a dilemma~"

That's when his fair skin flushed into a pink shade. Looking away, he let out something that sounded like an indignant huff. When he turned back towards, Rin, his sky blue eyes glowed with minor anger.

"So what, if I am? What if I _am_ upset over something?" He shot back, a rebellious tone seeping into his voice. His eyes bored into her own, and they dared her to answer.

Rin returned the same, fiery gaze. "Then, I would like to know the reason behind it." She held up her head proudly, as her cold anger showed in her posture as she folded her arms across her chest.

Upon hearing this, Len's angry gaze softened. As did his indignant tone. "...Is that what this is all about?" He asked softly.

Rin could hear the tenderness in his voice, and could see it in his eyes. His blue eyes shimmered with that tender emotion, which she could not name. Her cold anger slowly began to melt in return, as she felt her arms lower to her sides.

"...Yes." came out her low reply. For some reason, Rin felt nervous, waiting for Len's reply.

* * *

Len opened his mouth to honestly tell her of what was plaguing him for the past few weeks. He was determined to confess to her, his love, and ask for her love in return. Len felt a strong fire-like courage begin to build up in him. His eyes were shining.

_"I'm finally going to do it..! I can do it..!" _He cried happily inside.

However, before any words could leave his mouth, a thought popped into his mind.

_Social classes. Rin was the Princess, while Len was merely her servant._

This prevented the words to leave his mouth. The words clung to the back of his throat, as he clamped his mouth back shut.

Rin noticed his strange behavior, and outstretched out a hand towards him. "Len, are you alright?"

Len's mind was whirring. It was having a battle with itself. He wanted so dearly to confess his long-time love for her, but he couldn't; society would not allow it. A lowly servant and the Princess of the kingdom could not even hope to share a love.

The small fire of courage that was burning in his heart, was immediately smothered out. It was replaced by a cold sinking feeling of despair. The happy light in his eyes dulled. His shoulders sagged.

Rin also noticed this sudden change, and hesitation. She saw the look in Len's eyes, and she knew whatever was bothering him, was messing with him once again. _"Could it be... that he's in danger? Is someone threatening him?"_

Rin's mind started to concoct wild stories and scenarios, which really started to make her worry. _"Could it be that somebody threatening him? Did he murder somebody, and is afraid to tell me, because of the laws? Is his father-like carpenter friend ill; is he going to die?"_

She trembled lightly at the thought of such dark things, and dearly hoped to God, that Len would not tell her such things.

She gazed at him, with an anxious earnesty. Slowly, another idea crept into her head. Her heart started to flutter, at the thought. _"What if... what if he's attracted to me? Maybe he likes me?" _Realization suddenly hit her._ "W-why am I thinking such things? Of course not! We've been the best of friends, the best master-and-servant relationship. It can't be that... pfft. I must've not gotten enough sleep or something, I'm afraid I'm becoming delusional."_ However, so for very strange reason... Rin was disappointed. This fact terrified her and made her very uncomfortable.

_"Why am I _disappointed_ at the thought of this..? Could it be that... I wanted him to feel attracted to me? ..Could I be attracted to _him_?"_ Rin's mind helplessly spun, until she felt overwhelmed with emotions and thoughts.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Len twitched the corners of his mouth up in a forced smile, as he lied through his teeth. "It's nothing, Princess. I haven't been... feeling too well recently. I hope you'll excuse me." With those words, his heart sank. It felt like it just made contact with his stomach... or was it more like hitting the bottom of his stomach?

Her head whirling, and breath becoming ragged as her heart was pumping at an abnormal pace, Rin let out a little gasp. Swallowing quickly, she nodded her head, as she mumbled a quick, "Oh, I see." She wanted to say so much more, to even interrogate Len a bit further, until he spit out the truth. But at the moment, the corners of Rin's vision started to become blurry. The floor beneath her was spinning, and it looked like she was wading in water. Her breathing was becoming more and more difficult, and her heart was still pumping furiously. Her head felt heavy, yet light at the same time, so Rin clamped a hand onto the side of her head. With the other, she grasped the nearest piece of furniture; a chair, and flopped into it.

* * *

Len's eyes immediately widened, as he rushed over to Rin's side.

"Princess?"

He could see that something was definitely not right.

Len dropped onto his knees, next to Rin's chair, as he grasped her hand. She seemed to be sweating, but it was cold sweat. Her eyelids were fluttering, and her face was a pasty white, not the creamy ivory it normally was.

"Princess. Princess! ...Are you alright? What's wrong, what happened..?" Len's voice started to waver, and grew shriller with each second.

Rin managed to look into Len's frantic eyes, as she tried to say something. "..L-Len. I don't know. My head. My chest. I... feel dizzy."

Len's heart was starting to pound against his ribcage, as his brain went into a frenzy.

_"What do I do? A nurse, a doctor, a servant! I need to get someone!"_

Squeezing Rin's clammy hand gently, Len shouted. "Help! The Princess is down, something is wrong! Anyone, just please-!"

Rin started to have black spots dance across her blurred vision. Slowly, the edges of her vision blackened, and it spread until she could barely fight for consciousness. Rin soon lost the battle, as she slowly slipped into darkness. The last thing she could manage to hear, was Len shouting. Then complete darkness engulfed her, and she could see, hear, or feel nothing.

* * *

**Author's Note: Haha, I just randomly decided to make Rin have a sudden big 'event' like that. Doesn't it spice things up? Who knows, will this traumatic event give Len enough reason to confess to Rin? And.. what exactly is wrong with Rin? This will be revealed in the next chapter, folks! ;O**

**Your reviews, views, favorites, and follows are greatly appreciated!**

**Oh, and by the way... someone mentioned to me, that Rin's feelings towards Kaito and Len were not clear, and something along the lines of, "we don't know what's going on inside of her head". I took that in mind, and this chapter is basically revolving around trying to clear up some things, and expressing emotions, and whatnot. LOL. I hope I could enlighten you! ^^**


	18. Chapter 17: Weaknesses

_"**U**gh."_ Was all that came to mind when Rin's eyelids were finally able to crack open. She fluttered her eyelids, trying in vain to open them. Without much avail, she was greeted by the sight of someone at the foot of her bed. With her blurred vision, Rin wasn't able to make out who exactly it was. Surveying her surroundings, she could realize that it was her own bedchamber.

As she tried to shift around, Rin was unable to. Her body felt stiff and ached. She groaned with the slight pain and discomfort, making the figure at her bed stir.

Now, as her vision cleared, Rin could see that it was none other than Len! His mussed up blonde mop of hair covered his face, as his head was buried in his arms, resting at the foot of her bed. He mumbled something inaudible in his sleep, and snuggled into the bedsheets.

"...Um, Len?" Rin softly called, hesitant. Len did not move from his spot.

Pursing her lips together, Rin decided to wake him. "...Len!" She hissed, louder this time.

Jolting upright, Len's eyes were still clouded with sleepiness. His hair was a bit disheveled, with some strands falling out of his ponytail. "...MM! Huh? OH! ..YES, SIR! GOOD MORNING." He spoke in jumbled, almost incoherent sentences. He slowly blinked, and rubbed his eyes.

At this Rin chuckled, but her laughter was silenced by a dull pain in her chest. Biting down on her lower lip, Rin cringed. "..O-ow."

By now, Len had been given enough time to collect his senses. Eyes now wide with concern, he rushed over to her side. "Shhh, no, Princess. Don't overexert yourself like that."

"...Len, I'm... fine." Rin protested against Len's help. However, Len eventually gently yet firmly, took ahold of her elbow and helped Rin into a more comfortable position, where her back was propped up with pillows.

As Len gazed worriedly into Rin's pale face, a slight scowl over his features. Memories of last night rushed back to him.

As if reading his mind, Rin softly asked, "Len... what did the doctor say? What happened to me?"

Len's clear sky blue eyes bored into Rin's, as he thought of the best way to tell his beloved Princess.

"...Well, Your Highness... you are aware of how short-lived most of the royalty are, are you not?"

Rin in return, gave a small nod of her head, and motioned for him to go on.

"A-Ah, well... that is usually because their bodies are often weak. Maybe it is because most of the royalty do not get much fresh air, or see much sun, or something of that sort... and, you are no exception to royalty, my lady."

"...And so. You are saying that I am weak. Isn't that so?" Rin calmly answered.

"..I-I'm afraid so, Your Highness." Len replied, his voice slightly wavering. _"Is she going to yell? Panick? Cry? What will the Princess do now?"_ He glanced at Rin, anxious as how her response would be. When she merely frowned, and did not say anything more, he decided to venture a little.

"The doctor has said, that you are experiencing what many members of royal families are prone to."

"What other royals are prone to? What he mean by _that_?!" Rin exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration.

"...As I said before, many royals' bodies are weak. They are delicate. So this was probably just an incident where your... umm... strength was drained. You must have been overexerting your delicate frame, Princess. Yes, it's probably that! Aha.. haha..." Len gave an uneasy laugh, as he looked away from Rin's eyes.

"Len... are you telling me everything you know?" Rin asked, skeptically. She folded her arms across her chest, and glared at him.

Shifting uncomfortably, Len replied, "...Well, actually, m'lady... the cause of this.. this, _incident_, is unknown. For many centuries, no one has been able to pinpoint the cause of these symptoms found in royals. There is something similar, called 'the Royals' Disease.'"

Rin, interested, and somewhat scared for her health, urged Len to go on.

He shot her a nervous look, before swallowing uneasily. "Some cases of this causes an injury to continue to bleed. It will not stop easily. And for other people, it seems to cause madness and rage... I suppose it varies, depending on the individual person."

Rin's face paled, tears welling up in her eyes. "Len, that won't happen to me, right? It can't happen to me! I can't die, I can't become mad!" She started to sob hysterically.

_"Ohh... I was afraid this would happen!"_ Len cursed to himself. "Oh no, Princess Rin, don't cry... Shh, stop crying. It'll be fine. I'm sure you don't have the Royals' Disease!"

"And how would you know that?" Rin sourly replied, her lower lip and voice trembling.

"Well... they also say that it was mostly males that were affected by this. I've never heard of a female being affected by this." Len replied, scooting closer to her, and thumbing her tear streaks away.

* * *

Suddenly, a thought popped up in his mind. _"...Did she... no. I specifically warned her not to! She's been advised and warned so many times..."_ With that, his face turned serious.

"...Princess Rin... what did you eat that morning?" He gave her an accusing glare.

Averting her eyes, Rin began to wring her hands. "U-um... I had an orange." She whispered quietly.

Lifting an eyebrow, Len inquired, "_Only_ an orange?"

Rin hung her head and nodded slowly. Exhaling loudly, Len swiped his hand through his bangs before frowning at Rin.

"Princess, how many times must you be advised, not to eat so little! This is why you fainted like this- because you did not eat properly!" He began to scold her, like a mother would. "Now, if you were a bit... of a more _heftier_ build, it wouldn't matter. Why, eating only an orange would be recommended! However, think about your delicate frame, Princess. You're so thin and petite. Without eating the right amount of food, you're sure to face difficulties! Do you understand?"

Upon seeing Rin's fallen face, Len felt a twinge of guilt. _"...Did I go overboard with the lecturing?"_ He began to wonder, and felt ashamed.

"...U-um, Princess. Err... I apologize if I was being a bit harsh. But you are not a child anymore; you've got to be able to know how to care for yourself..." Len tried flashing her an apologetic smile.

It was Rin's turn to sigh. "...I know, I know. So, I suppose this is my fault, for not eating enough and being able to sustain my health..." She was surprised to find Len's hand envelope her's. It was nice and solid, and warm. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and smiled at her once again. Then he rose.

"Now, shall we get you some proper breakfast? You haven't eaten your little orange, since yesterday! Good grief, if the King hears about this, he'll have my head!"

Rin couldn't help but crack a smile at his remark. "Very well. Just get me the regular. Or surprise me, I don't really care."

Len grinned in return, and then gave a brief bow and exited the room.

* * *

Rin sunk back into the pillow supporting her back, and closed her eyes for a brief moment. _"I'm surprisingly tired! Hmm, well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to rest while he brings me my meal."_

However, only moments later, a knock sounded at her door.

_"Could that be Len? No, he couldn't make breakfast that fast..!"_ Rin pondered. _"Well, I guess it's a visitor?"_ "Yes, come in!" She called out.

A door swung open to reveal Sir Kaito, with 'worry' plastered all over his face. Rin merely blinked at him in surprise. "..S-Sir Kaito? What are you doing here, at this hour?"

"Princess! Thank the heavens! IwassoworriedwhenIheardyouco llapsed! Areyoualright? Whathappened?" Kaito spoke in such rapid-fire sentences, it made Rin's head spin.

"W-wait, Sir Kaito. Please slow down. I can't understand what you're saying!" Rin cried.

"..." Kaito took a deep breath to calm himself, before carrying on. "Well, I was very worried about you, Princess. What exactly went wrong, do you know?" He rephrased, kneeling down near her bed. He peered into her face, his face still etched with worry.

Rin was just about to reply, when another voice spoke up for her. "The Princess hasn't been eating properly." It was stated matter-of-factly.

Rin turned to see Len, a platter of food in his hands, standing in the doorway with a sour expression on his face. Practically ignoring Kaito, Len marched past him, and set the tray of food down in Rin's lap.

"Would you like me to help you with your breakfast?" He asked Rin, sitting himself down on her bed.

"Are you forgetting that _I_ am here? _I_ am her suitor, at the moment. Shouldn't that privilege be given to _me_?" Kaito shot Len an intimidating glare.

Yet Len remained unfazed. Instead, he seemed to become even colder, taller, and straighter. "Yes, you may be her suitor, Sir Kaito. But I am her servant. Are you to steal my duties from me, then?"

Rin could just feel the tension in the air. Glancing between Kaito and Len, who were giving each other cold stares, Rin was very uncomfortable. She shifted uneasily, and began to wring her hands again.

Her brain began to just whir and numerous thoughts were flung inside her head, but she was still bewildered. At that moment, another knock sounded at the door. _"Oh no, why are there so many people coming in? Now what must I do?!"_

When the door opened to reveal Paula, Rin was surprised. "Paula!" _"Oh, thank God! Maybe Paula will help me!"_ "What brings you here?"

Smiling serenely, Paula replied, "I am here to check on you, milady. Do you need anything from me?"

Rin widened her eyes and gave a quick nod towards Kaito's direction, hoping that Paula would get what she meant. Paula gave her a puzzled look. _"Oh, Paula, please understand. Pleasepleaseplease!" _Rin emphasized herself by keeping her eyes wide and giving a curt nod toward Kaito's direction again. Luckily, he was too caught up in a staredown contest between Len, that he did not notice Rin's signals.

Rin was about to loose hope, when Paula's mouth suddenly formed a small 'O' and she smiled again, winking at Rin knowingly.

"...Um, Sir Kaito..." Paula began slowly, as if calculating how to rephrase her words. "Would you mind, coming back tomorrow? Princess Rin is still in a weak condition today, and I'm afraid having visitors may upset her recovery." She added a small smile.

"..." Kaito gave Rin a look that said, _Do you really want me to leave? _Rin simply smiled at him apologetically and nodded. "I'm sorry, Sir Kaito, but I'm afraid Paula is right. I'm still not feeling very well."

"I see, then." Kaito replied curtly, before rising. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small letter and a red rose. Smiling at Rin with a sad, yet hopeful smile, he gingerly handed them to her. "I hope you take this to heart, and reply soon." He whispered in her ear, before exiting the room.

* * *

Rin peered down at the letter and rose in her hands. Tentatively, she lifted the rose to her nose, and sniffed. _"Ah, what a lovely scent! Oh, how I've missed roses~" _A blissful smile spread across her face, and her eyes shut for a moment, taking in the wonderful aroma.

Len's sour expression was very much lightened, but it was still faintly present on his features, as he peered down at Rin expectantly. _"Ah, yes. I should open and read the letter... hmm, but I'm hungry now." _Rin thought to herself, in much lighter spirits than before. _"That rose has done wonders, I feel so much better already!"_

"Len, would you mind serving me my breakfast, now? I'm afraid, I've quickly grown hungry." Rin asked, setting the letter aside. _"I'll read it later..."_

"...Would you still like me to feed you?" Len tentatively inquired. At this, Rin nodded with a smile.

"As you wish." was his reply.

* * *

Len spooned, spoonful after spoonful of porridge into Rin's mouth.

"Aaackk-! Len! It's _hot_!" Rin exclaimed, fanning her mouth. "Can you let it cool a little bit?"

"Oh, I apologize, Princess. But... it's been a while since the porridge has been out. It should've cooled by now. And I can't see an excessive amount of steam..." Len answered. "Maybe your tongue is the one needing correction!" He playfully remarked, grinning.

Rin narrowed her eyes. "Maybe _you're_ just being careless!" She retorted. But she ended up smiling sooner after her reply.

Len raised his hands in defeat, spoon and all. "Fine, fine. You win, Princess." He was laughing and shaking his head. "My, you are just as headstrong as I've left you... you seem to have barely changed." A wistful smile came across his face, as he continued feeding Rin.

_"Except, you have grown into a beautiful young woman, dear Rin. How long do I have to suffer from this one-sided love? You remain so clueless. So adorably clueless. But it's also frustrating, at the same time. When will I finally be able to tell you how I really feel? When will I be able to express, that... I love you..?"_

* * *

**Author's Note: Hell, everyone! I haven't updated for a while, haven't I? D;  
I was going to during my winter vacation, but I was so caught up in the craploads of work my sadistic teacher piled upon us. -w-  
I hate highschool. I'm only a freshman, but I hate it. UGH.  
Well, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter... LOL and I've noticed that this is getting kind of angsty! I love angst, if you didn't know. ;D**

**Question: Should I speed up the pace of the story a bit? You know, make some grand things happen, _soon_? Since, I seem to just be dragging out everything, and I was wondering if you guys got kind of bored. Haha. ^^;**

**OR**

**Would you rather have me just ease into the climax of the story, at this pace? You know, just kind of slowly, dramatically... make things _eventually_ happen?**

**Please, I need your help, guys! :)**


	19. Chapter 18: Confessions and Love Letters

"**W**ell, you are now done with your breakfast, Princess. What would you like to do, now?" Len asked, suppressing his feelings once more. He had difficulty swallowing the lump that was forming in the back of his throat.

Rin took a few minutes just thoughtfully chewing. Finally, with a firm decisiveness she replied, "I think I'm going to just stay here for the moment. I don't wish to go anywhere particular right now."

Len smiled faintly. "And even if it is just for today, you can do whatever you wish, Princess."

Rin smiled warmly back up at him. "Very well."

As Len bowed, and was about to exit the room, Rin hesitantly called out his name. "...Len!"

Taken by surprise, Len turned back around, expectantly gazing at Rin. "Yes, milady?"

A faint blush creeping along her cheeks, Rin mumbled something Len's ears could barely catch. "Can you come back in a short while, though? I... I think I'm going to become lonely..."

Keeping his face composed in a calm, serene mask, Len replied, "Of course, Your Highness. Whatever you wish. I shall be back soon. Get some rest. If you need me, you can always use the bell pull."

Not until he clicked the door shut behind him, could Len break into a huge grin. Exhaling happily, a light pink began to dust his cheeks as well, making them rosy. _"So this is like what it's to be in love..."_

Humming happily to himself, he briskly went on to inspect the work of the other servants.

* * *

Rin nervously gulped, and then let out a huge sigh of relief as she heard the door click shut behind Len. _"What was I thinking?!" _She scolded herself. _"What has happened to you, Rin? Are you still ill? Were you hit in the head or something? Why would you, in your right mind, say things like that? Whatever happened to Sir Kaito? I thought you had feelings for him! And now you go and start acting so... helpless and** revoltingly sweet**, in front of Len. WHAT IS THAT? " _The more emotional side of Rin started to go wild with endless ranting.

However, the calmer side of Rin seemed to laugh in amusement, at the emotional side. _"Pfft. Oh, leave the girl alone. She can't help being attracted to both men. I mean, who couldn't? They're so handsome, and well mannered, and... ahem. I seem to be going on a tangent again. Anyways, as I was saying. Who said that Rin had to stick to Sir Kaito? He's just a suitor. And what's wrong with Len? Len's so kind, so caring... he's always cared for her. You can obviously see that he is very devoted, loyal, and loves Rin very much!"_

_"But..."_ The calmer side of Rin carried on,doubt starting to creep in._ "What if he only loves you in a 'brotherly way' or a platonic way? What if he doesn't return your feelings of... attraction? And even if he were to find you attractive, would he ever pursue you? He is only a servant, after all! He knows what is right and wrong; the standards of society. He probably wouldn't even dream of falling for you; you know it can never happen! Besides, what would Mother and Father say? They definitely wouldn't let you keep him at your side, if they knew you were attracted to your childhood friend and butler!"_

_"NO. ENOUGH. You two, stop. Stop it this instant! I think I'm going to disown you both. You are not parts of me! You must be some sort of.. weird, conscience-rubbish that the people are talking about recently. I refuse to think that those thoughts were mine. Now, dismissed! Be gone! Whatever!" _Rin irritably shifted in her bed, refusing to let these nagging intuitive voices in and thoughts bother her again.

* * *

Rubbing her throbbing temples, while letting out a heavy sigh, she slumped back onto her pillow. _"I don't know anything, anymore. God, please help me! Someone, anyone! I... I don't know..."_

Suddenly, the envelope Kaito had left her, caught her eye. Curiosity building up inside of her, she reached over, and grasped it. It felt smooth, almost feathery, It felt nice, gentle, elegant, yet heavy with some kind of urgent message awaiting within; it seemed just like Sir Kaito himself.

Rin's heart started to thump faster and faster, anticipation overtaking all other emotions.

Cautiously, gingerly, Rin tore open the envelope to find a scent wafting to her nose. Sniffing, she could decipher that it was some sort of perfume. Most likely a woman's perfume. She raised a skeptical eyebrow. _"Why would his letter be spritzed in a woman's perfume? Hmm... odd. Suspicious..."_ But she let her mind wander to the actual letter.

* * *

_Dearest Princess Rin,_

_I hope you have been faring well. I apologize for not being able to visit the palace, or ask you out for a while. My father's business has needed me, and I could not neglect it. Work and other business related matters has kept me from you. In the relatively short time we have spent away from each other, I have come to a realization. _

_My lovely, delicate Princess Rin. I honestly can say, that I have come to love you. I am speaking the truth when I say these words; please do not think of me as a mere noble trying to charm you. You have captured my heart the moment I set my eyes on you. Do you remember our first encounter in the gardens? You had pricked your finger, and I offered you my handkerchief. On that day, I feel that I not only lent you my handkerchief, but gave you my heart as well._

_I know we have not known each other for terribly long. But I'm sure we have most certainly become well acquainted. And through each day, I have fallen deeper for you, my lady._

_And so, if I may... I wish to ask for your hand in marriage. I apologize once again, if you feel rushed. If you wish, I will request to officially court you; until you can grow to develop mutual affections, then. Would that suit your tastes, better?_

_Please do not keep me waiting for too long, dear Princess Rin. For I cannot bear this suspense much longer. I dearly hope that my affections are returned, or at least will eventually be returned._

_Signed with great love and anxiety,_

_Sir Kaito, Duke of Hammington_

* * *

Upon reading those words, Rin felt her jaw drop. Everything froze around her, as her brain tried to absorb this information. The ridiculous fast-paced thumping of her heart did not help; instead, it made the blood pound in her ears, making her brain even more confused.

Taking in several deep breaths to calm her brain and heartbeat, Rin slowly set the letter beside her on the bed.

_"He... he loves me. Sir Kaito, he... loves me?"_

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm sorry for such the long wait, and short update! T^T  
But, I do have this whole week off, due to regents' week. So I plan on another update or two for you guys, really soon! YAY! ^^**

OMGOMG. Ok, so I got this great story idea, and I'd like your opinion on it, dear readers! :D  
All I will say right now, is that it will be a spin-off of the _**Synchronicity**_ series... without the 'twins' concept! So that means... yes, to RinxLen! YAYYY~  
And you know how I like to stick to the original PV storyplot, and then add some other _stuff_ to it? Like with this fanfiction? :D  
I will do that for this new story! If I get the approval, and opportunity to! So guys, pleaseplease go to my profile and look for my new idea!

Thank you all~!


	20. Chapter 19: Kidnapping!

_"..." _Only silence could be heard in Rin's room. But within that silence, her brain was whirring at dizzying speeds.

_"He **loves me**... Sir Kaito **loves me**... He wants to **marry me**... He **loves me**... __Sir Kaito **loves me**..._" Those thoughts just kept spinning inside her head, making absolute chaos inside it. The overwhelming sound of blood pumping in her ears added to the chaos.

_"What do I do..? What shall I say...? I... I like him too, but... could I **marry** him? Become forever bound to him in holy matrimony?"_ For some reason, instead of becoming ecstatic, as she thought she would, Rin couldn't help but feel slight... dread.

Suddenly, her whole world suddenly seemed to come crashing down on her. The weight of heavy decisions that would determine not only her future, but the others around her, was pushed onto Rin, and she didn't know how to deal with it.

_"Well... now I know that he loves me. I mean, well... I like him too. But it's too early to tell whether I love him back. I'm glad he's letting me have some more time! I definitely need to discover **my** true feelings. I guess I'll have no choice but to keep him_ _waiting... I-I can't decide anything for the moment. I really can't..."_

Rin drew in a shaky breath, and suddenly felt a strong headache coming on. The scent of the perfume was very strong; too strong, to the extent where it was making her already-abused mind to throb. Crinkling her nose in distaste, she slowly laid back down on the bed.

_"I think I'll get some rest. Then, I'll start thinking deeper about this..."_

With that, Rin settled into her bed, and closed her eyes. But before sleep could claim her, she suddenly felt a presence looming over her.

Eyes flinging open, she whipped her head around. Rin surveyed the room with wide, frightened eyes. Nothing was there. Everything was as it should have been. _"It's probably just my imagination... I need more rest. Plus, this sudden confession has probably gotten me a bit more_ _sensitive_." Rin tried to reassure herself.

She closed her eyes once again, but the uneasy feeling of _something;_ cold, dark and ominous, kept her subconsciously alert. Fear started to slowly creep into her, it's coldness penetrating to the depths of her bones. Rin unconsciously let out a small whimper, as she burrowed down under the blankets.

_"Oh, stop scaring yourself, Rin! It's nothing! Absolutely nothing! Just get some sleep, and you'll be fine..."_ She could barely fight to keep her eyelids open, now. Slowly, she let herself fall into a restless, uneasy sleep.

* * *

Suddenly, Rin thought she felt hands upon her. Mind still groggy, she willed her eyelids to open. They begrudgingly opened, and her senses became acutely aware of her surroundings.

Darkness. Stuffy darkness. And discomfort.

_"Mmm... maybe I was just dreaming..."_ Rin thought to herself. But she was suddenly jolted awake, when she felt the human warmth of a hand on her. It was unmistakable; it was definitely a human hand.

_"Wait. This isn't right! What-?!"_ Rin's mind suddenly kicked into overdrive, as she tried to move her body. To her bewilderment, she found her arms pinned to her side by meaty hands. A coarse kind of material was coiling around her wrists, and was slowly tightening.

She tried to let out a scream, but to her horror, found that her mouth had been gagged.

Desperately flailing her arms, and kicking her legs, Rin thrashed around. A gruff grunt of surprise was let out by her abductor, and the rope that was starting to bind her became slack. For a second or two, Rin was free from those disgusting grimy hands. She desperately, blindly, tried to get away. However, in another moment, those hands were back on her, pinning her down with an even harsher force.

Rin fiercely struggled against them, but she could barely recognize anything in her field of vision. The sudden burst of energy and clarity of mind slowly died down. Her mind was starting to become sluggish again, and her eyelids were starting to close. Her struggles were becoming weaker.

_"NO! NO, YOU CAN'T PASS OUT NOW! PLEASE, STAY AWAKE! PLEASE..!"_ Rin mentally cried out to herself, but soon she lost herself once again, to the pitch black darkness.

* * *

**L**en happily trotted to his Princess' room. _"Would she be sleeping? I hope I don't wake her... but, she did request for my presence..."_

Hesitantly, Len placed a soft knock on her door. There was silence. He leaned in close to the door, and upon hearing nothing, knocked louder. Still no response. Taking in a deep breath, he knocked loudly on the door. Again, no response.

Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, he announced loudly, "I will be entering!"

When he swung open the door, his breath caught in his throat. His palms started to clam up, and the his heartbeat accelerated. The bed Princess Rin had been laying upon only an hour ago, was empty. The sheets were wrinkled, and the blankets were tossed aside. But there was no sign of the girl.

**_The Princess was gone._**

_"Where could she have gone?" _He frantically wondered to himself. As he strode into the room, he noticed that her bedroom window was wide open, the draperies flapping in the breeze.

_"That was **not** open, before..." _Len thought, as he sucked in his breath. _This was serious. The Princess... seemed to have mysteriously disappeared through the window. "But she isn't in the right condition to over-exert herself like this! She knows this!" _Len tried to desperately convince himself. _"How could she have done this? It's not like she was trained to climb out of 3-story palace rooms!"_

Suddenly, Len's eye was caught by a piece of paper resting on the vacant bed. Heart beating ridiculously fast, and throat starting to become dry, Len's trembling hands gripped the paper. As his eyes scanned the paper, they grew as big as saucers.

_"That... that **bastard**. Asking for her hand in marriage!" _Len felt a wave of jealousy and anger wash over him. He was so tempted to shred the letter to pieces, but he took deep, steadying breaths. _"For the Princess' sake... I've got to remain calm... her disappearance is more important."_

_"How... where.. could she have gone?"_ Len pondered to himself.

Suddenly, a terrible possibility entered his mind. _"No... she couldn't have been... Oh God, no. Please. No!"_ With that, Len flung open the door, and rushed outside. However, in his haste, he almost collided with Paula.

"Oh... Paula!" Len said, blinking. "I didn't know you were here. Or in this area of the palace, to be exact..." That last part was barely above a mumble.

She flashed him a quick smile, and giggled. "Oh, the same could be said for you! I.. I was just coming to check on the Princess!" She gave a nervous laugh.

"Oh...?" Len replied, arms crossing over his chest. Suddenly remembering the Princess' disappearance, Len started to panic again.

"...The Princess... something has happened... she's gone! She's not in her room!"

"W-what?!" Paula exclaimed, her eyes widening in fear. "A-are you sure she isn't in her room? Maybe she... she took a short walk to get some fresh air..?" Now Paula seemed equally as worried. She wrung her hands in despair.

"No... I don't think so. She's in too weak of a condition to go out like that; and she should know that...!" Len clenched his jaw.

"Well, I didn't see her around here..." Paula replied nervously.

"Oh..." Len's heart gave a lurch. "Well. We should go look for her before raising any alarms. Who knows... she might just be outside, or wandering around the halls... hopefully."

"I will search inside the palace! I know where she usually likes to go..." Paula said.

He gave a curt nod of his head, and gruffly replied, "That's good. But just check everywhere! Or... at least try to cover as much ground as you can. I will search the palace grounds, then."

As they turned to go on their own ways, Len suddenly stopped her. Spinning around, Len saw a flicker of terror in her eyes, before it was gone in an instant, and replaced by an unreadable expression- it was neither fear nor confidence... it seemed like cold rationality.

"Oh, one more thing, Paula. Will you ask around, to see if anyone saw the Princess? Someone may have seen her going out or wandering around here, somewhere. And ask all the servants to search for her, as well!"

She in turn gave a small nod and a small smile, and Len released her.

* * *

After searching all of the palace grounds; the gardens, the courtyards, even the stables, Princess Rin was still nowhere in sight. Stooping down, resting his hands on his knees, Len let out labored breaths.

"Dammit! Where is she?!" Len growled, as he roughly raked a hand through his bangs in frustration.

Just then, Paula came rushing out to meet him. At the sight of Paula, Len straightened up, and sharply drew in a breath.

"...Did you have any luck?" He anxiously inquired. Len was just so worried. He couldn't even think straight, anymore.

Paula shakily drew in a breath, as she shook her head. "Not a sign of her anywhere inside the palace. Not in any of the rooms, in the halls... and on top of that, none of the servants have even seen her...!"

Len's legs suddenly gave away, and he plopped down into the grass with a loud _t__hump._ It didn't even hurt. He couldn't feel anything, anyway. His heart made the same noise, as it lurched and sunk in his chest. He couldn't think. He couldn't feel. He couldn't move. All Len could do, was sit in the grass, his eyes hollow and listless.

It was true. She wasn't here. She was gone. That could only mean... his Princess had been **_kidnapped_**.

The word rang inside his skull with with a sharp pang. Suddenly, the echoing pangs of reality sparked something, in him. It brought him back to life. The gears of his mind whirred, as Len slowly stood back up, almost stumbling. Paula extended a hand to steady him, but Len brushed it aside. His almost lifeless eyes were suddenly filled steely with determination.

"The Princess must have been kidnapped..." He simply stated, at nobody in particular. He turned to look at Paula. She met his eyes with fear, but gave a firm nod. He turned away from her, and gazed into the far-off distance. Len's eyes were full of sadness, as they wavered with unshed tears. Yet they held the cold determination and rationality of a warrior.

"What shall we do?" Paula softly inquired. She was almost afraid of Len, when he was like this. The coldness and sadness, along with the possible deep anger he radiated, was far more frightening than a yelling, fuming man. "...Should we inform tell the King and Queen? They left for their meeting with the King of Spain, don't you remember?"

"Oh. I had forgotten about that! That's right, they are no longer here..." Len trailed off, his brows furrowing with contemplation. "So... I suppose that means we would have to solve this matter for ourselves..."

"B-but we should at least send a messenger to inform their Majesties, shouldn't we? Imagine their wrath when they return, and hear about_ this_..." Paula cried.

"I don't know. I don't know, if what I'm doing is the right thing... but what I do know, is that we can't waste any time to find the Princess! Sending a messenger, and waiting for the King's instructions will take up too much time! What if... what if we're too late, all because we waited...? What if... _we loose her?_" Len trailed off huskily, , his voice sounded broken and hoarse.

Paula remained silent.

Len continued to gaze into the distance, his eyes distant and cloudy. Suddenly he looked into Paula's eyes. His ocean blue orbs were filled with a burning, passionate determination that Paula had never seen before. She almost took a step back in surprise.

"But mark my words. I **will** find her. I will find the Princess, and rescue her... I don't care if it takes the whole kingdom a week, but I will find a way to save her!" Len announced firmly, shouting at the top of his lungs. _"Because... I love her. She is my everything..." _He murmured, as those words were carried away by the wind.

* * *

Rin awoke to a rude jolt, as she was thrown onto what felt like, the ground. Through the rough, dark, stuffy cloth she was encased in, Rin could smell the musky scent of earth.

Suddenly, the stuffiness and darkness she was in, was lifted. Sunlight streamed down into her eyes, and she was temporarily blinded. Blinking groggily, Rin's fuzzy vision slowly focused, adjusting to her surroundings.

What greeted her eyes, was what seemed like a basement. The floor was just a dirt packed floor, and it had shabby looking walls that were composed of worn down and faded bricks. A few small, grimy, and dusty looking windows lined the pathetic walls.

To her irritation, Rin found that her writs were bound tightly with rope, and her mouth was still gagged. Yanking against her bonds, she growled lowly.

A large hand was quickly clamped onto her shoulder, pushing her down onto the dirt-packed ground. Fighting fiercely against the force applied on her, Rin kept her head up high.

_"I will not have my face disgraced by having it smeared onto the dirt! Certainly not!"_ Rin thought defiantly.

Her eyes held a dangerous glint of hatred and vengeance, as they stared down into the dirt. _"Oh... once I get my hands on this bastard, I'll teach him..!"_

Suddenly, the force pushing her down was gone. This allowed Rin to sit up, and survey her surroundings once more.

Her perpetrator was a buff, meaty looking fellow. His small, pig-like eyes and ugly face was unnerving. Another man with similar features, was beside him. "So the girl has finally woken up, hmm? Damn, I thought we put too much of the drug on that letter. I thought we killed her!" Her abductor said. Then both men erupted into bellowing laughter.

Rin let out another growl. She glared at the bulky man with burning hate. "MMNF ACK MMENFG!"

"What are you saying?" The other man stepped closer to her, and slipped her gag out.

Taking in a gulf of fresh air, Rin yelled, "I said, 'Let me go!'." She grit her teeth.

"Damn, I never should've let you speak. You're going to get me in trouble! Now, are you going to be quiet, or am I going to have to put that gag on you, again?" The man said, coming threateningly closer.

"NO! DON'T COME NEAR ME, YOU FILTHY BLOKE!" She screamed, cringing away from him.

"Shut up, wench!" The other man growled, as he quickly strode over.

Eyes widening, she tried to back away, but didn't get far due to the ropes restraining her. She gave a small muffled shriek of fear, as she cringed away from him.

"Don't even _think,_ about putting that dirty cloth back in my mouth." Rin said defiantly.

"Oh yeah? And who's gonna stop me?" The man closest to her jeered, as he came threateningly closer.

Before anyone could react, a delicate, smooth and calm, female's voice broke in. "I will."

The two men immediately froze, and turned to stare at the new member to enter the scene. A slim woman of green, gracefully stood, leaning against the doorframe. She was seemingly relaxed, as she sauntered over to the three.

She was literally a woman of green; two twin pigtails of teal cascaded down her shoulders, almost reaching the floor. She wore an embroidered dress of forest green. Even her eyes were a ocean-green, glittering behind a masquerade-ball mask of (you'll never guess...) green. Face hidden by the mask, Rin was unable to get a good look at her face, but she seemed not much older than Rin. An aura of authority radiated from this woman.

"Now, now boys. Let's not be rough with the Princess, shall we? After all, what crime has she committed, hmm?" The elegant woman chided in a voice dripping with honey and oil.

Rin didn't know what to expect from this lady. _"Why is she talking about me like that? If she knows that I'm the Princess... why isn't she helping me?!" _Her heartbeat started to speed up. A glimmer of hope formed in Rin's heart. _"Maybe this woman is here to help me!"_

"Oh, that's right, I almost forgot. She's the rotten little girl who stole my love away, isn't she? Plus, she's being a pretty spoiled Princess; not even aware or caring about her people. Tsk tsk, and what a shame that this sweet little face is going to go to waste..." The woman of green added, mockingly sweet and smooth in her speech. She inched closer to Rin, her green eyes glittering dangerously.

The glimmer of hope was crushed, and was replaced with a wave of resentment. One thing Rin hated the most, was when people looked down on her and treated her with inferiority and mockery. But that was the very thing this woman had displayed before her.

Teeth grinding, Rin's crystal blue eyes flared with anger. "Why, I don't think I'm much younger than you! Stop calling me a little girl!"

The lady in green merely smiled coldly at this. "How would you know how old I am?" Her tone was teasing, mocking. That cold smirk graced her lips.

The lady in green stooped down, so that she was peering down at Rin, face merely inches from hers.  
She lowered her lips to Rin's ear, and whispered with a wintry breath, "Besides, now that you are under _my_ control, I'll call you whatever I wish, and do whatever I want with you."

A tremor of fear suddenly shot through Rin, as the pieces clicked. _"'...pretty face going to waste'? '...Do _ _whatever I want?' 'Under my control?' Is she... what is she planning?! What does this crazy woman want with me?!"_

She leaned away from the woman of green. "...D-Do I even know your name?"

The green woman gave an amused snort. "That's for me to know, and for you to figure out. Besides, why would that even matter? I'm going to make you regret... seducing Kaito." At the last part, the green woman's eyes darkened with a dangerous light in them.

Rin's eyes widened at this. "S-seduced Kaito? What do you mean by that? I did no such thing!" She indignantly protested.

"Oh? Don't lie to me, you rotten wench. You stole him from me, and you're going to pay dearly for that." The teal haired woman hissed. She no longer that that cool composure, now she seemed ready to strike.

"Now see here!" Rin bravely shot back. "I am not going to be blamed for something I have not done! Look, Sir Kaito is a _suitor_, understand? He was introduced to me, and it has been a tentative relationship! My _father_ wants me to marry him! We are nothing that you should be concerned about!"

"Oh? Than what does his marriage proposal explain, hmm?" The lady in green cooed mockingly. "If your relationship was meaningless, I'm sure he wouldn't have declared his love for you and asked for your hand in marriage, now would he?"

Rin was taken aback; she was speechless. "H-how did you know...?"

The green woman smiled an empty smile.

"But still! We were not as close as you think we were! But if you read the whole letter, or asked him directly, you would have known that..." Rin sourly stated.

The green woman's smile faltered into a frown, behind that mask of hers. "He does not talk to me anymore... he isn't even aware that I am always by his side..." She trailed off sadly, eyes loosing their dangerous glint, and instead replaced with a forlorn gaze.

Rin was taken aback with this lady's sudden change in temper.

_"Clearly, this woman has some major problems... her soul and mind may be disturbed. She seems to have a sick, twisted love for Sir Kaito, who somehow is not fulfilling her wishes. And this.. this has lead to her kidnapping me! I'm scared... what will she do with me? How will kidnapping me make Kaito love her? Oh, I just hope Len comes and rescues me! Or anyone; just someone... help me get away from this disturbed, sick, lady...!"_

* * *

**Author's Note: Wow. I'm terribly sorry! I know I've made you guys wait so long for this! And that last chapter was a cliff hanger too! ;A;**

**Well, this is getting juicy now, right? ;D  
I...I I don't even know, anymore. But yes, this is a major point in this story! It may be the climax.. OuO**


End file.
